The Queen of Heart, English
by Tsukari-chan
Summary: When Trafalgar Law and his crew board a Marine ship to grab a new weapon, they expected everything except ... that!
1. The Marine's weapon

**Well, hello.**  
**I don't know what possessed me to do this, but it is not so important.**  
**What you're looking at right now is my first attempt at fanfiction in English. I don't know what it's worth. You see, I am French, and English is not my native language, I understand enough to read the stories in English, but I don't know if I can write one. This is a challenge that I'm starting.**

**Anyway, this is the translation of my faniction One Piece of the same title published in French. I hope my English will not be too painful for you. Please bear with any**** conjugation, grammar or spelling**** errors that I can do, I hope to improve.**

**Anyway I hope you will enjoy it ... and it will be readable.**

**Obviously, One Piece is not mine, I'm only borrowing the characters and universe from Eiichiro Oda.**

**Enjoy ... I hope.**

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

**The Marine's weapon**.

The room was dark, the only light came from a small lamp, lighting up an office filled with papers and open books, but no one was working. All was quiet, the only audible sounds were the engine's purrs, the occasional beep of sonar and the calm and steady breath of the man wrapped in the blankets.

Aside from the messy desk, the rest of the small room was clean, neat and tidy, even if it didn't seems that comfortable. A bed, a bedside table with a small lamp, a desk, a chair, a wall mounted cupboard were all the room contained. Simple but functional. The wooden floor was bare, the metal walls had no decoration and the only window in the room, like a porthole, was obscured by any curtain. The only luxury the occupant seemed to allow was a high bookcase, weighed down with books, set near the office. Nothing more.

While a school of bright colored fish went silently by the window, a sudden ringing sound rang out in the room, waking up the sole occupant. The young man rolled under the cover and a messy black mane pulled out with a groan. A tattooed hand fumbled in the empty space between the bed and the bedside table before seizing the small snail lying on it. It did not seem to take offense and let his owner do with resignation.

"Yes?" Growled the young man with a sleepy voice.

"Captain," exclaimed an excited voice. "The target is in sight."  
A moment of silence, then :

"I'm coming."  
And without further ado, he cut off communication and let the Den Den Mushi on the bed. The snail crawled away on the sheets, while it's owner sat up with a yawn. The sheet slipped from his shoulders, revealing a tattooed torso wrapped in bandages. Still sleepy, the young man sat for a moment on the edge of the bed, trying to convince his eyes to stay open as he passed a hand in his messy hair. After a moment, he finally got up and took a few unsteady steps.

He quickly got dressed, pulling on jeans, a sweatshirt and the first pair of shoes he found, before leaving his room while putting a spotted hat over his messy hair, a katana almost as tall as him leaning against his shoulder. His appearance wasn't as impressive as some other captains sailing those seas, but dont let it fool you, Trafalgar Law was a dangerous man, as evidenced by the reward offered for his capture, which kept rising since he lost his Shichibukai title.

The corridor of the crew compartment was quiet but no doubt it would wake up very soon. Crossing the bulkhead separating the crew compartment from the operation's, Law could only see the difference. In this part of the submarine, the tension was palpable, he could felt the excitement of the hunt in every man he met. He climbed the ladder to the upper deck and crossed the gangway towards the wheelhouse. He went straight in the room, surprising his crew in full operation.

"Captain," welcomed one of his man: a tall guy wearing a hat pulled down his eyes.  
Immediately, another hat wearing guy turned from the periscope to greet his superior.

"What about the target?" Law questioned approaching the periscope.  
The hat wearing guy gave him room to take a look at the surface. In the periscope, Law could see the ship they were hunting for days as he raced, driven by favorable winds, while several Marine white flags fluttered proudly at the top of the masts.

"Just like I thought," said the captain with a satisfied smile stretching his lips. "How long before it came within cannon's range?"

"Within ten minutes captain," answered the hat wearing man before he headed to his place behind the periscope.  
Law collapsed on a seat in the center of the small room. He put his nodachi against his shoulder and left it there while he cast a quick glance around him.

"Shachi, battle alert," he ordered. "I want everyone ready to fight as soon as we'll surface."  
The guy who stood near the periscope nodded and walked to a desk on which several various colored den-den mushi were patiently waiting. He grabbed the one with the red shell and gave alerts orders into the microphone while his voice sounded throughout the submarine.

"Penguin, I want you to shoot as soon as the target is within range."

"Yes, sir."

"Do another mistake like the one in Dressrossa and I'll cut you into pieces," the young man growled irritably.  
No one dared to say a word, all knowing full well that he was able to do it and leave the poor victim in this state for days.

"Regardless of the weapon this ship carries, we need it" he say, massaging his temples to erase his headache.  
Around him, the other members of the crew were working in silence, which in no way lessened the tension.

The submarine tracked this ship for several days, since Shachi had intercepted a transmission relating the transportation to one of the marine headquarter in the New World of a weapon capable of putting an end to the golden age of piracy. To believe the report that the submarine had intercepted during its hunt, it seemed that the Marine expected that weapon for some time and had came a long way just to get it. Usually the Marine doesn't give itself so much trouble, it used to have enough scientists, firearms or ammunitions manufacturers and many other weapon's engineer to arm all its ship without effort. The officers had just to snap their fingers to get what they want, so why bother to get a weapon from the other side of the world? It doesn't take more to arouse Law's curiosity. Especially since he still had to get his revenge.

Although his plan was mostly successfull, his crushing defeat at Doflamingo's hands, in Green-Bit, left a bitter taste in his mouth. If his wounds began to heal properly, his ego, however, was permanently injured. If the Marine offered him a way to carry out his revenge, he wasn't going to let it pass. And he had to admit, he was curious to see what could cause so many emotions in the Marine's ranks.

"Target in range," announced Shachi always hung to the periscope.  
Law opened his eyes and gave a silent nod to Penguin who immediately turned to his position to engage the firing procedure. The hunt was nearing its end, it was time for the kill. And harvesting the spoils.

* * *

The ship creaked from all sides, sometimes seeming moaning, sometimes pretending to sing. Some ropes creaked on the masts and the sails flapped from time to time when the wind suddenly changed its course. The waves lapped along the hull while the bow of the boat easily ripped through it. At least two bridges above her, she could hear the voices of the working sailors and, closer, the coarse laughter of the resting men who still lingered at the mess.

She knew that. She knew it quite well. The familiar sounds of the ship, its crew and the sea around them were almost as familiar to her as the voice of her own mother. She could almost believe it was her ship if she hadn't been in this unfortunate position. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, her back bent, elbow on her knees to support her head resting in her hands, she tried to forget that she was locked-up in a cell barely big enough to allow her to get up and pace. For hours, she tried to forget her stomach screaming loudly, her stiff muscles lacking exercise and her nagging headache. She tried to forget that in a few days the boat would reach its destination, where a lot of scientific wannabe were waiting impatiently to dissect her alive.

Damn this Marine and its bloodthirsty wardogs! Always looking for the weapon that would be able to quickly get rid of the pirates. They were looking for the secrets of her people since a long time now and they finally got some of them. All because of her! But it doesn't matter, even if she would probably die in the next day, she would certainly not regret what she had done. These men deserved to die. If she had to start again, she will do it again. Without hesitation. She had no regrets.

As she pondered her fate, the door leading to the dark wedge in which she was locked-up suddenly opened, letting in the sounds of conversations from upstairs. A lamp was lit just above her cell and a man walked down the wooden stair with heavy step. The young woman didn't need to open her eyes to know who it was. The ship's captain. He came to torment her every evening since her capture. Oh he didn't hit her, no. He was ordered to get her back alive and unharmed, which had not facilitate her catch. But he didn't hesitate to come and admire his work, probably dreaming of the promotion that it would earn him. Since several days, he went to eat in front of her, taunting her, while she was deprived of food since coming on board his cursed ship. He spent his time talking and, even if she didn't understand a word of what he said, she guessed without difficulty the meaning of his words, the mockery and arrogance in his voice didn't really let her doubt.

"Seran Athis Karell," he threw before collapsing on the only chair in the room.  
The young woman didn't care to open her eyes. It always started like that, by saying her full name and it was immediately followed by a flood of words which she paid no attention. However, after hearing the same speech every night, she began to understand the meaning of a few words and sometimes managed to understand a sentence.

Giving her a grim smile, the man lifted the lid covering the tray he had brought. Immediately, a delicious smell of food spread in the room. Reacting instantly, Seran's stomach let out a hungry growl, which made the man laugh.

"Oh, you're hungry?" He taunted. "What a pity you couldn't have a bit of this."  
Without taking his eyes off her, he dipped his spoon in what appeared to be mashed potatoes and get such a mouthful that the young woman was surprised to not see him choke.

"Reassure yourself, it's almost finished," he sneered. "In four days we will be at the headquarter and I will enjoy watching the doctors tear your little pet from your living body."  
Closing her eyes again, Seran sighed and focused her mind on something else, trying to ignore the temptation and insipids words this man inflicted upon her. Her stomach protested again what seemed amuse her unwelcome visitor.

Seran let her mind wander away from her cell while the guy stuffed himself shamelessly in front of her. The starvation was clearly the only way he found to prevent her from using her abilities and she had to admit that it was effective. She felt her strength leave her and it was increasingly difficult to make contact with Esran. The creature was reduced to conserve its strength for what would soon happen. When Seran had decided to not get caught alive and to act as soon as the attention of their captors release her, she felt the creature's entire agreement. Like its host, Esran was determined not to be a guinea pig for the Marine's scientists.

While revising for the umpteenth time the escape plan she had prepared, Seran heard the captain get up and approach her cell. Opening her eyes, she looked up at him, sending him a defiant look that made him laugh. He opened his mouth to taunt her when it begin. A violent explosion shook the whole ship, throwing the captain on the ground. With a cry of surprise and fear, Seran curled up in a corner of her cell, protecting her head with her arms. The alarm screamed throughout the ship and soon screaming and running sounds reasoned upstairs. The wedge's door swung open letting another officer in.

"Captain, he cried. A pirate ship."

"What?" The man bellowed. "How couldn't you notice it sooner?"

"It came out of nowhere, Captain. It seems that it's former Shichibukai Trafalgar Law's submarine."  
With a bellow of rage, the captain rushed upstairs, shaking his underling off his way. Surprised by the turn of events, Seran arose and went to the door of her cell and clung desperately to the bars when two more explosions shook the ship.

* * *

A thick puff of black smoke rose from the bow of the Marine's ship. Flames licked its hull to starboard and a gaping hole allowed water to seep into the holds, two mast were sprawled on the deck, their sails hanging overboard. The soldiers ran on the deck, waving their weapons. Despite the bullets whistling in his ears, Law stood motionless on the back deck of his submarine, until the collision maneuver allows him to jump on the Marine's ship.

Smaller, faster and more easily maneuverable than its prey, the submarine slipped without difficulty between the shootout and dodged the bullets before reaching to place itself side by side with the damaged boat. Immediately, the men present on the bridge jumped on board, faster than the soldier could react.

Wasting no time, Law enveloped the ship in his translucent dome and drew his sword. Immediately, the closest soldiers were cut to pieces and fragments of bodies fell upon the bridge without a single drop of blood. Cutting his way with his nodachi, the young man went to the stern, cutting the gunboats that continued to bombard his submarine and sending them in the sea with a sigle shake of his hand, leaving only the canons of the lower deck continue to shoot.

"Captain," cried a voice Law recognized immediately.  
He cast a quick glance over his shoulder and saw Bepo get rid of two opponents before getting behind him. Escorted by the polar bear, Law burst into the main corridor, falling face to face with four soldiers armed with pistols and rifles. A swing of his nodachi later, the arms of the one who was the officer fell to the floor, leaving Bepo the time to act and protect his captain by defeating two other soldiers.

At the sight of the sliced arms the youngest soldiers, a teenager just out of his mother's skirts, almost pass out. His face, already white as a sheet, took an interesting greenish color when he saw one of the hand stand on its fingers and crawl away like a ridiculous spider while its owner went after it ordering it to return. Before he was able to slide on the floor, Law grabbed him by the collar and pinned him against the nearest wall.

"Where is the weapon?" He asked in a threatening voice.  
The boy was shaking like a leaf, and it took a little shake to help him understand it was better for him to answer the pirate captain.

"Wha... what weapon?"

"The one your ship carry."

"We... We did carry any weapon... only... a prisoner. We must deliver her to... to Portcalora's headquarter."  
For a moment, Law's gray eyes scrutinized the face of the kid looking for the slightest trace of lie. But the youngest was definitely too afraid to dare lie, or to think of a lie. The youn captain exchanged a silent look with Bepo before pushing the boy down the stairs.

"Leads us."  
With trembling legs, the teen led them to the lower deck, leaning against the walls to stay on his feet. A little hesitation on his part and he immediately felt the tip of the pirate's nodachi between his shoulder blades. The fear that gripped him was almost palpable and it amused Law's sadistic side.

"Who is this prisoner?" He asked.  
The young soldier shook his head.

"I dunno, it was forbiden to go see her. All I know is that Portcalora's high officers have given strict orders about her. But I 've seen her."  
He lowered his voice as if he feared that his superior could hear him despite the hullabaloo of the battle around them, as if they weren't busy enough.

"I was hiding on the bridge when they get her on board... She looked like a normal girl but... It was as if she knew I was there... She looked right at me and... I felt a cold sweat down my spine. This girl, she scares me."  
Law didn't seem interested in this story, the kid was impressionable, the first girl coming forward to him must be able to scare him.

The boy stopped in a hallway and pointed to a door with a nod before retreating as to get away as quickly as possible. Annoyed, Law grabbed him by his colar and threw it between Bepo's pawn. The bear knocked him out let him fell on the floor. Law opened the door and walked cautiously down the stairs, already knowing that the girl was not alone in there. He wasn't too surprised to find six guns and a sword pointed at him when he reached the bottom of the stairs. Behind the officers, in a cell, stood the girl. She was not impressive at first, but when their eyes met, the young man felt a tingling in his neck. This girl was not an ordinary one!

"Trafalgar Law," roared the ship's captain, his sword still pointed at the pirate's chest. "Put your sword down and surrender immediately."  
The cruel smile on the young pirate's face widens.

"It's rather for you to surrender."  
One gesture of his left hand and weapons disappeared from those of the soldiers only to be replaced by brooms. In her cell, the Seran opened eyes as round as saucers, almost as shocked as the disarmed soldiers. Law drew his sword and with a few quick strokes, so quick that the blade seemed to draw bright arcs in the air, he cut his opponents into pieces. A muffled cry caught his attention and his gray eyes rested on the prisoner. A hand pressed against her lips, she looked horrified taht he could kill disarmed men. But her expression of horror left its place to the deepest curiosity when she noticed that the body's fragment were still alive. Passing a hand through the bars of her cell, she grabbed a severed hand who crawled on the floor, in search of its original body. The fingers moved in empty space while Seran watched from every angle, trying in vain to understand what was happening.

While the young woman was inspecting the member who still waved, Law went to the captain's head and grabbed it by the hair to rise it up to his face. Blazing rage was burning in the soldier's onyx eyes and he would gladly cleared the arrogant smile off pirate's face if he had been able to do so. Law taunted him for a moment before asking :

"So who is this girl? And where is the weapon?"

"If you think I'll answer you, pirate."  
Without a moment's hesitation, Law slammed the severed head against the bar of the cell drawing Seran's attention.

"Wrong move, "he growled. "Where is the weapon?"

"Go to hell!"  
BAM ! The head was thrown against the bars again.

"You know, despite what they all say, I 'm conciliatory," Law whispered with an absolutely terrifying smile. "If you want us to do it bluntly, I'd be happy to give you that pleasure."  
In response, the captain gave him a killer look. The pirate's smile became even more cruel, and wtih a movement of his free hand, Law stole one of his victim eyes and conjured it in his palm. He rolled it between his fingers like a marble before dropping it to the ground and crushing it slowly under his heel. The head let out a howl of pain while Captain's limbs convulsed in agony on the ground.

"Captain," cried the severed heads of the other soldiers.

"You monster, we will make you pay for this," one of them threatened.  
Law ignored them. Rising to the head of the captain at arm lengh again, he gave him a menacing look.

"Did I have to tear this information from you or will you answer me?"  
As the soldier was a little too late to speak, Law subtilized his remaining eye.

"I 've always wondered if the Marine had pension plans for the crippled."  
He threw the eye in the air before catching it, enjoying the look of utter fear that now distorted the face of the soldier.

"She is the weapon," he blurted out, raging inside. "She is an Atlantean. It's been years that the government is seeking to seize all their secrets to destroy you."


	2. A chlid of Atlantis

**I'm so glad that my English is not as bad as I feared and you like the story.  
Thank you so much for your review, they make me very happy.**

**I hope this chapter will be as good as the previous one.**

**Enjoy. ^^**

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**Chapter 2:**

**A child of Atlantis.**

"An Atlantean, huh?" Law repeated, turning back to the girl. "Unusual encounter."  
Standing behind of her cell's bars, she unblinkingly held his gaze. The young woman's attention was now turned toward the pirate captain, who scrutinized her, forgetting the hand crawling in circle on the floor, like a confused animal. Approaching the cell's bars, Law threw the soldier's head and eye over his shoulder and left them where they fell, without paying attention to his victim's protests. For a moment, he just stood still in front of the cell, inspecting his prize.

The girl was not impressive at first. Slightly taller than average, dirty and matted blond hair tied in a ponytail with a frayed white ribbon, blue eyes almost as ringed as his own, pale face covered in dirt and dried blood and a torn dress whose color was difficult to identify. It was obvious she had a very uncomfortable journey. Yet there she was, standing in front of him, returning his gaze without shuddering. She even seemed to challenge him. However, when he drew his sword, he saw her take a step back. Her pale lips parted as if she was about to say something, but no sound came out. She seemed to change her mind and closed her lips before taking a step forward with a determined face. Her eyes never left the nodachi's blade while Law raised it to strike. A moment later the cell's bars fell to the floor with a ringing sound. The girl seemed realy surprised to be still in one piece.

"Come with us," Law ordered as she gazed at her hands to ensure that she still had all her fingers.  
Hearing his voice, she looked up at him but didn't move.

"Come," the pirate impatiently growled, reaching out a hand to grab her arm.  
She quickly stepped back, dodging him, and gave him a suspicious look. For a moment, they eyed each other, without a word, then Seran nodded, as if to signify her consent.

The girl didn't really know who she was dealing with. Nevertheless, she understood that the man who stood in front of her was a pirate, an enemy of the Marine, which, in her situation, was almost like a potential ally. But the pirates weren't known for their kindness and she didn't know what was worse: falling into Marine's hands or between this man's and this strange powers. However, she felt no fear from Esran and it was a good sign. Seran had blind faith in the creature's judgment, it never mislead her. If Esran, though it was a little suspicious, doesn't fear this man, it should say she could trust him. To a limited extent, at least.

Trying to find her balance on her shuddering legs, Seran left her cell and stepped over the body parts. Law looked at her, frowning, before turning back to the stairs. Instead of following him, the young woman crouched near the pile of severed body parts and began to rummage through one of the soldier's jacket. The captain's head let out a chuckle, while the Atlantean's clumsy fingers rummaged in his shirt's pocket.

"Don't think you'll get away with it, brat," he growled once he had recovered. "We will pursue you, night and day, until you fall from exhaustion and we'll just have to pick you up".  
Without paying him attention, Seran pulled a small silvery key out of his pocket and then unsteadily stood up. She was about to turn back when she changed her mind and went to her torturer's severed head. With a vengeful smile, the girl kick it, sending it flying to the other end of the room where it hit the wall before falling into an empty barrel. Happy with herself, Seran turned to the corner of the room, beneath the stairs, paying no attention to her savior's impatient and dissatisfied look. Law only then noticed a box, closed with a solid lock. The Atlantean opened it with the key she had stolen.

"_Great!"_  
The two pirates were least surprised by her voice, hoarse from not having served for days, than by the word she just used. They glanced at each other, not sure that they had heard the same thing: a word that meant nothing.

While they were both wondering, Seran drew back the little possessions that remained. She had taken very little when she left Atlantis and had lost much during her arrest. All that remained was standing in this case: a long S shaped blade, typically Atlantean, hidden in a sheath encased in metal, a gun in a holster and a strange object, round and flat like pocket watch. It was, with the crystal necklace she still wore, all she had. However, when she stood up, she fell face to face with Law which extended a hand to her. Understanding easily what he wanted, Seran could not help rolling her eyes before handing him her weapons. However, she keep the watch like object and slipped it into her bra. The pirate didn't seem to mind.

"Bepo," he simply ordered with a nod in Seran's direction.  
The polar bear nodded and Law sent the weapons on his submarine with his power, provoking the young woman's indignation. Paying her no attention, he rushed up the stairs. With a pawn on her shoulder, Bepo encouraged Seran to follow his captain. Having no alternative, the young woman did what she was asked, a sullen look on her tired face.

The ship was a mess but the fight seemed to have ended. As they crossed the bridges, they saw the pirates holding captive several group of soldiers, after separating them from their officers. Their path was lined with moving body parts. Seran was stunned. All the crew and the soldiers had been defeated in less than ten minutes while they outnumbered the pirate crew. She did not know in what she had gotten herself into, but she did know one thing, those pirates weren't small players.

"Captain!" someone shouted.  
She turned in the same direction as the other two and saw two guys wearing ridiculous hat coming their way. She thought it would be a fad arround here while her gaze traveled from the two newcomers to Law who was still standing in front of her. But she was careful not to say a word, even if there was little chance that these men could understand her. If there was a word she had learned to recognize during her time aboard the Marine ship, it was "Captain" and she knew it would be better to avoid upsetting anyone wearing this title.

The three men discussed a moment paying no attention to her, which allowed her to get away to stretch her still stiff legs. A strange mast bearing neither sails nor flag showed the presence of the pirate ship near them. She approached the railing, curious to see the boat who had managed to board a ship as powerful as the one that carried her. It shouldn't be very big, since its mast was just over the Marine ship's upper deck. However when she leaned over the edge to take a look below, she let out a surprised cry. She had never seen a ship like this one, and the confusion she felt from Esran showed that the creature didn't know this type of ship better than her.

"_Strange boat,"_ she said to herself, leaning on the railing.  
Its appearance could perhaps explain how he could escape Marine's surveillance so easily.

"Hey you!"  
Seran turned and saw the pirate captain striding towards her.

"Dont think you'll escape."  
She looked at him slightly tilting her head to the side, not understanding a word of what he said. But his tone and look spoke for him, she realized she'd better not try to escape. Anyway, even if she wanted to, she probably couldn't. She was exhausted and couldn't go far in her state. Besides, the ships were in the middle of the ocean and she certainly couldn't swim to the next island. And she had to admit, she had absolutely no wish to end up in pieces on the bridge, even if a part of her wondered what effect it could do.

Trying not to upset the young man, Seran moved away from the railing and walked up to him, taking care to avoid all movements who could be interpreted as a threat by the pirates. Unceremoniously, Law grabbed her arm and pushed her ahead to the small group formed by Bepo, Penguin and Shachi. All eyes were suddenly on her and it was not until that moment that she realized her unkempt appearance. She really could use a good shower even a cold one. A shower and a good meal was everything she wanted at that time.

"Who is this girl, Captain?" Penguin asked without taking his eyes off her, although they were hidden under the brim of his hat.

"It seem that she is the Marine's weapon," said Law. "They believe she is an Atlantean."  
This information caused a moment of confusion among the pirates. Atlantis, the hidden island, was one of Grand Line's greatest mystery. Most civilians believed it was just a legend, but those who roamed the seas in search of adventure and treasure knew that the island actually existed somewhere, well hidden. They lent its inhabitants great powers and superhuman abilities and said that their technology had no equal on this dangerous and unexplored sea. But nobody knew what it really was. For years the World Government and the Marine sought to seize the technology and secrets giving the Atlantean their extraordinary abilities. In vain. That is, until today.

Yet watching the girl, they couldn't believe she could be part of this almost legendary race. Stories told that the Atlantean weren't mere humans, but she looked like a quite ordinary girl. There was nothing in her appearance that could confirm that she came from the hidden island. However, all should agree on one thing: whatever her appearance was, something unusual emanated from her. Although it would have been difficult to explain what.

"If she really is an Atlantean, she doesn't look like anything that the stories tell," remarked Penguin.

"I'm not one to believe stories," said Law. "But you're right, there is no evidence that she is really one. Nor that she is the weapon we seek."  
He let out a sigh.

"Penguin, Shachi, loot the ship from top to bottom and get everything we need. Look for any sign of the weapon. You, Jean Bart, make sure the Marines try anything. If you need me, I'll be on the Heart."  
The men nodded in unison and rushed to the ship's interior. Law looked them enter the forecastle before sending a silent nod to Bepo making him understand to follow. The bear invited Seran to follow his captain. A ladder was installed between the two vessels to pass more easily from one to the other, but Law merely jumped on his submarine's deck. Seran didn't feel in the state to do so and opted for a slower but safer descent along the scale while Bepo was following her. She didn't really have time to look around before being pushed into the ship.

The interior was like nothing she knew. In places of the expected wood wall, she found that the walls consisted of metal plate riveted together. Pipes of all size ran up the ceiling in or out of the rooms they passed. Some men in white suit came and went in the hallways, seeming very busy. Guided by Law, they passed an airlock and went down a ladder before following another fairly narrow corridor with a rather low ceiling. It brought them to the submarine's infirmary. Outside the door, Law turned and glanced at Bepo.

"I'll check on her latter. Take her to the shower room, she really needs one. And make sure that she doesn't run away."  
The bear nodded and put one of his big paws on the girl's shoulder to get her attention. He motioned for her to follow him and walked away. Seran looked at Law as he closed the door behind him. She wondered what was going on before finally agreed to follow the polar bear. He led her among other corridors barely bigger than those they had already crossed. Seran looked around her, not understanding her surroundings. She had never seen a ship like this one. The ships she had seen, or took, since her departure from Atlantis were not so different from those that the Atlantean built, while this one was kind of unusual for her.

They made a stop at the laundry where Bepo fumbled a moment in search of something to dress Seran with, while she inspected the room, and huge machines, with curiosity. When he had found what he sought, he invited her to follow him and led her to the crew's quarters. They meet no one on their way, the pirates were probably busy plundering the Marine's ship. The bear opened a door in front of her and made her enter. Seran clapped her hands together like a happy little girl when she realized where she was.

"_It's about time, I can finally get rid of all that dirt!"_  
She went into the room when Bepo retained her. He told her to follow him and walked to a corner. He fumbled in a closet for a moment before putting what she needed in her arms.

"Here you go," he said. "And when you 're done, put that on."  
He spread a black t-shirt, marked with the flag of the crew, in front of him. Although not understanding a word of what he said, Seran still understood his intention. She nodded and threw the tee-shirt on her shoulder.

"We don't have women's clothing," say the bear while lowering his head. "Sorry."  
Seran looked at him for a moment, then she smiled before shutting herself in the first shower cubicle she found.

Wasting no time, Seran got rid of her dirty and torn dress and unceremoniously dropped it on the floor. She pulled the watch like object out of her bra and placed it on a towel to protect it from the splashes before finally opening the taps. With a satisfied sigh, she let the water flow over her tired body. Damn, she dreamed of this shower for days. Although she had no way to see the days and nights, she knew exactly how much time she spent locked up in this damp and filthy cell. Exactly eight days, twenty-two hours, forty-three minutes and seventeen seconds. She could thank her ability to feel the passage of time, without it she would certainly have lost count on the first day and be completely disoriented. It was certainly her jailer's goal.

After letting the water run for several minutes, Seran grabbed the toiletries given by Bepo and began to wash herself from head to toes, soaping her hair, disgusting mass on her head. When she turned off the water, minutes later, the steam hung in the cubicle but she felt better, cleaned her fatigue as well as the dirt. She wiped briefly her body with a towel then wrapped it around herself before exiting the shower to dry her hair. She then combed them, not hesitating to tear the tangled strands. She let them drop, still damp, on her back. When she had finished with her hair, she dropped the towel that covered her on the floor, paying no attention to Bepo who always watched her. The bear's eyes widened in amazement. Seran pulled the tee-shirt that he had lent her. Too big for her, it reached mid-thigh and covered most of her figure.

"_That's good,"_ she said, turning to her guardian. "_Thank you."_  
Of course, the bear didn't answer, merely beckoning her to follow him.

They took the hallway in the opposite direction, but this time, some pirates crossed their path. They wordlessly watched them pass, sharing the same puzzled look. Once at the infirmary, Bepo opened the door and announced their arrival to Law who was turning his back to them. The captain didn't deign to reply, but that didn't stop the Polar Bear to push Seran toward the door. Seeing the instruments and the medical engine kept in room, Seran felt panic win over her. What did they exactly intend to do to her?

Slowly, Bepo pushed her into the room. The young woman swallowed hard as she approached the examination table enthroned in the middle of the infirmary. She remained near the steel table not daring to move while Law was rummaging through the drawers, preparing something she couldn't see. Curiously, Esran did not seem worried. She even sent comforting images to Seran trying to reassure her. Despite the situation, the creature seemed to have confidence in this man. Seran was accustomed to follow the creature's instinct, and allowed Bepo to help her sit on the table. Law turned and put a stainless steel tray with various medical instruments on a trolley near the table.

"First thing," he said, donning sterile gloves. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"  
He raised his head, his gray eyes staring in her blue one. She looked at him for a moment without answering, a puzzled look on her tired face.

"Did you speak our language?" He asked, enunciating each word as if speaking to an idiot.  
She looked at him for a moment before turning to her hands, a look of concentration replacing puzzlement on her face. Law sighed, trying to not roll his eyes. This stupid game beginning to dull his patience.

"Few word," say Seran, focused on what she said.  
Instant translation was not part of gifts from Esran, although the creature's presence and their bond helped Seran to assimilate what she learned faster than average.

"That's something. What's your name?"  
She looked at him for a moment searching words to answer him.

"Name?... uh... Seran."  
Law raised an eyebrow.

"Seran," she repeated, putting a hand on her chest. "Name me."  
She smiled at him but to her disappointment, the young man didn't bother introduce himself, merely turning to the instruments he had prepared.

Seran suspiciously looked him prepare a syringe, then she let him put a tourniquet around her arm, carefully observing the operation. He cleaned the fold of her elbow with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol and then pricked the needle into a vein. He took three blood samples and laid them on the tray, in a sort of rack, before sticking a cotton ball on the puncture. He made her raise her forearm until her wrist reached her shoulder. Seran remained in that position while the doctor was preparing another examination. She let him took her blood pressure, check her breathing and reflex without resistance. When he listened to her heart, however, a frown appeared on his face.

"Captain?" Bepo asked, noticing the young man's reaction.

"I hear an echo," announced Law. "Two heartbeats."

"Two?"  
Law didn't answer. He put his stethoscope around his neck and motioned Seran to remove her shirt. The girl looked at him for a moment, confused, before obeying. She took off the tee-shirt and put it on the table beside her, not seeming to feel any discomfort being naked in front of him. However, it was not her forms that attracted the young man's attention, but the long scar that ran along her sternum.

"Open-heart surgery?" Asked Bepo.

"Maybe. But that doesn't explain why I hear two heartbeats. Get the x-ray ready."  
While the polar bear was busy around the unit, Law replaced his stethoscope in his ears and listened again what was going on in the young woman's chest. The first beat was clearly audible, rhythmic, nothing unusual about it. The second was muffled, almost imperceptible yet present. The beats were perfectly synchronized. Law had never seen nor heard anything like this.

"The x-ray is ready," captain, Bepo announced after a moment.  
With a gesture, Law ordered Seran to place herself in front of the machine. She shot him a suspicious look before complying. With quick gesture, he told her how to place herself before taking several shots from her ribcage and back. He left Seran to put her cloth back while the x-ray pictures were developing. He dedicated this short time to the examination of the blood samples, which seemed to leave him even more puzzled.

"You must see this captain," cried Bepo, alarmed, returning with the shots.  
He lit a light table and hung the pictures on it. Law glance at them before passing a hand over his forehead. All the pictures showed the presence of what seemed to be a parasite, near the young woman's heart.

"What's that thing?" panicked the polar bear. "A parasite?"

"Perhaps," said his captain, keeping his composure.  
He moved closer to get a better look. The creature looked like a kind of giant shrimp, or a worm folded on itself. Filaments appeared to link this creature to Seran's heart and lungs, and probably all her other vital organs.

"The scar," say Law, thoughtfully passing a hand on his chin. "As if someone had opened her chest to implant this thing."

"Voluntarily?" Bepo asked with a cold sweat.

"Apparently."  
He turned to Seran.

"I wish she speaks our language to explain it all."  
Having caught his glance toward her, Seran abandoned her observation of an anatomic brain to join him. She looked at the x-ray for a moment before pointing her finger at the creature.

"It Esran," she stated with a smile, adding in her own language, "_this is the first time I can see it since the implant."_  
The other two looked at her for a moment as if she had two head.

"Esran? This thing has a name?"  
Seran turned to Law and nodded.

"Yes, a name... This Esran," she said with a smile. "Me friend."  
The captain took a slow breath, rubbing his temples. His headache would not let go and the situation did not help to calm it down.

"We can do anything as she didn't speak properly," he sighed. "I will entrust her with you, Bepo, teach her our language, make sure that she doesn't bother anyone on board, and most importantly, she doesn't try to run away."  
He retrieved his nodachi leaning against the wall near the door and was about to leave.

"Installs her in an empty cabin," he said, without turning around, "she'll be staying there until we could learn more about her. Call me if you realize that her health is deteriorating. Maybe we should pull this thing out somehow."  
With that he left without looking back at Seran. The young woman stared at the door for a moment, looking annoyed before turning to her guardian.

"_Did I say something wrong?"_  
Bepo apologized in a tiny voice, although he had not understood the question. A silence fell in the room for a moment and it's just at this point that Seran's stomach chooses to growl loudly, embarrassing the girl. Realizing what he had to do, Bepo beckoned her to follow him. Still wondering what they'll going to do with her, Seran followed without resistance.

* * *

Law had locked himself in his cabin, trying to calm his headache, when there was a knock at his door. Opening his eyes, the young man sat up in his seat before allowing its visitors to enter. The door opened on Shachi and Penguin who entered quietly. Law leaned against the back of his chair before asking:

"So, where's the weapon?"

"It seems that it is really the woman you found, captain," informed Penguin handing a bunch of official-looking papers to Law. "And it also seems that she is indeed an Atlantean. Well, it's what the Marine was convinced with, anyway. Everything is there."  
Law took the wad of paper and dropped it on his already well stocked desk.

"Tell me, I'll read that later."

"Well, the information are quite incomplete but basically, the girl was captured ten days ago. The Marines ran after her for a very long time, she seem to have killed four officers."

"Why?"  
Penguin shook his head :

"It's not specified."

"Whatever she did, the Marine seemed more interested in what she bears than in her crimes," Shachi intervened. "We don't understood, but apparently she has something in her body that must reach Portcalora's Headquarter alive."  
Law put his temple on his fist, turning the pages stolen from the Marine with the other.

"They were after this parasite? What could it be?"  
Penguin and Shachi stared blankly at him.

"When I examined her, I found a kind of parasite in her chest. Probably implanted voluntarily. This is certainly what the Marine wanted. I wonder why."  
A parasite with a name, with that!

"Why didn't you ask her?" Penguin asked, frowning.

"I would have done if she could speak our language."

"Speaking our language?" wondered Shachi. "This language is spoken throughout the world. Centuries ago the World Government forced all the islands and all the countries to speak this language. They did not hesitate to use force against those who showed resistance."  
Penguin nodded, silently confirming his hat wearing friend's words.

"All the islands except those who have never been found," remarked Law. "And as far as I know, the government is always looking for Atlantis."  
The other two remained silent.

"And there's that too."  
With a gesture, he caught the odd blade that the young woman had recovered from the Marine and he had almost immediately confiscated. He had taken the time to inspect it before leaving it on his desk. He threw it at Penguin who skillfully caught it before removing it from its sheath.

The sword was slightly longer than usual. Its curvature, was more pronounced and, strangely enough, the handle was bent in the opposite direction so that the entire shape was that of an elongated S. Without hilt, the blade included two notches shaped hook to protect its holder's hand, one on top of the blade, just at the junction with the handle, the other on the cutting face about a finger of the handle. But that was not what was the most surprising. In addition to its unusual shape, the blade was forged in a strange metal with blueish iridescence that shimmered in the lamp's light. Carvings were running all along the blade, forming elegant arabesques and letters none of the three men had seen before. To top it off, the blade was light, perfectly suited for a woman's hand. It was far from the often rustic weapons used by pirates and Marines.

"Never seen anything like that," confessed Penguin, turning the blade between his fingers closely looking at it.  
His captain's silence stated that he too was in the dark.

"If you want my opinion, there are too many mysteries surrounding this girl," say Shachi holding a thrill. "It will bring us trouble."

"The troubles already run after us," remarked Penguin putting the blade into its sheath.  
He put the blade on Law's desk when the door opened on another crew member, a boy that had only recently joined them.

"Captain, we received a communication from the Straw Hat crew," he announced. "They were heading to Midona and ask when we should join them."  
A long sigh escaped Law's chest. He turned to his two subordinates.

"When can we leave?"

"The loading is almost finished," announced Shachi. "We should be able to go in an hour."

"Well, when everything is ready, head to Midona, and tell Straw Hat we are on our way."  
Realizing that it was ending the conversation, Shachi and Penguin nodded at the same time and exited the cabin, taking their young companions with them.

Alone behind his desk, Law ran a hand over his face and sighed before looking to the Atlantean blade still in front of him. In which he got himself this time? Instead of a weapon, he had found a girl clearly unable to pronounce a word correctly nor to explain all the mysteries that surrounded her. Besides, in a few days, he would have joined with his turbulent and unpredictable ally. He did not know what all of that put together could cause but he was sure of one thing: his headache will not leave him anytime soon.


	3. Seran and Esran

**Chapter 3:**

**Seran and Esran**.

"Hey miss!" Greeted the cook, leaning over the counter.

"Hello Sho-san. I take just coffee".

"Do so, miss, it's what it's here for."  
The cook stood up and swung his dishcloth over his shoulder before returning to his oven, leaving the woman to fend for herself.

"I was thinking, I have pie leftovers, you want some?"

"Oh yes ! It be pleasure, Sho-san."  
The young woman's enthusiasm made the cook laugh.

"I'll bring it to you, take a seat."  
Seran did not need to be told twice. Taking her mug, she sat at the first table that presented itself and put her book in front of her. The galley was empty, only the cook and his two assistants were busy, she was probably the only one who wanted to pick up a coffee at this hour.

It was now a week she was on the pirate submarine's board and the least they can say is that she was quick to adapt to her new life. Still, Bepo had to show a lot of patience and calm during their first dive, when she thought the ship was sinking. After a little while, however, realizing that no water was seeping on board, she had calmed down and stood in front of her cabin's porthole, watching the sea's depth with curiosity. The first days, they had kept her carefully locked in her room. Bepo, who gave her some language lessons and some teaching on the vessel's basic rule, and Shachi and Penguin who bring her meals, were only ones to visit her. Bepo would also take her out every day to the showers room. Nothing more. Needless to say, these first days were not funny at all.

Two days earlier, however, Law had agreed to let her roam the ship freely. They were immersed and the captain did not fear the girl running away while no one was watching her. Moreover, Seran was calm and cooperative and had never posed any problem. Everyone seemed accustomed to her presence and curiosity was slowly fading, they anymore listened at her cabin's door in hope to hear her. The discussions less revolved around her, even if the crew members were always rushing to help her when they crossed her carrying a stack of books or to give her a place in the galley. She seemed to get along with everyone but her relationship remained more friendly with the three who had cared for her: Bepo, Shachi and Penguin. However, she had not seen Law since her arrival onboard, excluding the morning she found herself face to face with him in the shower room.

"Hey, Princess," announced Sho, the cook, placing a generous slice of pie in front of her  
She barely had time to read a paragraph before someone else enters the galley. Seran looked up at the newcomer and could not prevent a smile to spread across her face. Law gave her a look before heading to the counter where he served himself a coffee.

"Hello, Captain," she then cried.  
He turned to her, his mug in hand. The least he can say is that the stay on his board had done her some good. Her sunken cheeks and dark circles under her eyes had disappeared. Her blond hair was now clean and elegantly raised in a ponytail, with an old bandana as a ribbon. They seemed a little shorter than the last time he had seen her. Her blue eyes had regained their clarity and, although naturally pale, her skin had lost that sickly pallor it wore when they first met. She had given up on her dirty and torn dress and was wearing a crew suit whose top was rolled around her waist, replaced by the same black tee-shirt with the crew's Jolly Roger that Bepo had given her. She seemed to be a different person.

"You speak our language, now?" the captain asked, taking a sip of his coffee.  
Seran nodded slowly.

"I learn," she clarified, pointing to her book.  
She did not take her eyes off him as he approached her, dominating her with his full height.

"Have you learned enough to answer my questions?" He asked.

"I will try."  
He sat in front of her as she closed her book after marking the page where she had stopped. She knew she had to go through it, the pirate captain was certainly wondering too many things about her to let them pending. He was curious to know what he was carrying on his board. He was the captain after all, it was his duty to find out if she could be dangerous for him, his crew and his ship.

"Your name is Seran, right?"

"Yes, she confirmed. Seran Athis Karell is full name. But Seran is enough."

"And you're Atlantean ?"  
She hesitated a moment before nodding.

"Yes. I born there, but I can't go back, not ask road."  
Law raised an eyebrow.

"And why not?"

"Long story," she said, lowering her head.  
It was obvious she did not really want to talk about it, but Law did not care about what she wanted to say or not, he wanted answers and he would have them even if he had to cut her into pieces. He leaned back in his chair and stared at her with a sharp look.

"I have all the time," he stated before drinking another sip of his coffee.  
Seran stared open-mouthed at him, surprised he dared to insist. She was silent for a moment, turning her head to hide her embarrassment.

"I'm banished," she admitted softly. "It's long history. How to say ?..."  
She paused, trying to gather her thoughts and sorting out what she could tell, and what it should be better to keep unsaid.

"It was two years before now," she began. "The _Matriarchs_, Atlantis leaders, decided to have agreement with foreign Marine. Agreement to protect Atlantis and prevent Marine to seek island. I was on ship who protect men and women sent to speak."  
Law frowned. He was unaware that the Marine had put into negotiations with the Atlantean and he wondered what had come out.

"But Marine men were... angry. Great battle had taken place. Many dead. Very tense between us and them. Marines asked things that we could not give. Weapons, powers, forbidden to leave Atlantis. I knew it would eventually go wrong. One evening, three moons after the beginning of discussions, a year and a half before now, four marines attacked girl of my crew."  
At these words, she clenched her fists and Law saw something in her eyes he had never seen in before: utter rage.

"They hit the girl, forced her to give them pleasure and eventually abandon the body in the street. Like trash. Her name was Chisa, she was like little sister to me. She and I grow together. Never hurt anyone. Never fight, unable to fight. Why did they attack her?"  
Her anger was clear in every word she spoke and the awkward vocabulary did not stop Law to realize that this tragedy had deeply affected the young woman. He saw her clenched fists on the table, her hands shaking and her face contorted with hatred. What he had in front of him at that time was not the sweet and cooperative young woman who traveled discreetly on his board for several days. What he had in front of him at that time was a warrior, a fierce and furious fighter.

"Predators always choose the weakest prey," Law simply said.

"They were wrong. If Chisa not know how to fight, I do."  
Law took a sip of his coffee, waiting for her to explain what she meant by that, even if he already know.

"I thought after that, discussions end, Atlantean back on Atlantis. But no. _Matriarchs_ too afraid to stop there. Want to protect themselves, what was life of poor girl before that?"  
This time it was the bitterness that prevailed in her voice.

"Your friend is dead?" Asked the pirate carefully studying her reactions.  
She shook her head.

"No. But perhaps it would have been better she had. she's ruined now. No one want her. Atlantean men not marry girl another has already taken. Especially if disfigured. Atlantean women say she deserved it. Bad soul always punished."  
Seeing Law raise an eyebrow, she explained:

"Atlantean believe nothing happens by chance. What happens to us is always deserved, as punishment for crimes committed before birth, in another life. Accident is punishment for something. Happiness is a reward for past good deeds."  
Law found that ridiculous, the doctor in him categorically refused to believe in the possibility of reincarnation and more in the existence of this kind of karma that seemed to govern the Atlantean's lives. He wondered how people who was said so advanced could believe in such an archaic stuff.

"I see," he simply said keeping his thoughts to himself. What has happened then ?

"The attack was classified as incident and talks resumed. But I did not agree. I did not want that men forgiven like that. I wanted them to pay for the crime but nobody listened me. So I acted alone. I chased these men and I killed each of them."  
She lifted her head and planted her hard eyes in the captain's.

"I'm murderer," she said with a defiant look.  
It does not seem to disturb Law.

"We all are, on board," he remarked in a calm voice.  
She looked at him, almost shocked that he accepts her crime so easily.

"In Atlantis, killing is worst crime that exists. Atlantean who kills another human being is banned. Position island erased from memory, but memories of what he lost, family, friends, good times... all that remains so he could regrets his actions all his life. But I don't regret having to kill these men. They deserved it."

"What do you mean by "erase" ?"

"Just "erase" as with rubber. I remember not where Atlantis is. Unable to return. This is protection to prevent those who leave to go back with trouble."  
At least they were sighted. But still, what kind of secrets could enforce such protections?

"So you were banished and you have found yourself in the hands of the Marine," Law concludes, rejecting his questions in a corner of his mind.  
Seran shook her head.

"Yes, but more complicated. _Matriarchs_ have decided to let me in Marine hands so they can do justice for their dead. But no justice for Chisa. Well, official version. Truth is that _Matriarchs_ knew what Marine wanted: a living Atlantean to study, and offered it. They hoped them to keep their word and stop searching Atlantis. Fortunately, not everyone agrees with them. Captain of the boat that would take me to Marines was a friend. He let me escape during stopover. Since, I fly Marine. But they ended up catching me."  
She looked up at Law.

"The rest, you know."  
Law does not seem to be particularly bothered by this familiarity from a girl with whom he discussed for the first time.

"How long are you running ?"  
She looked down at her hands, seeming to count on her fingers or searching for words to respond.

"It's... four full moons and fourteen days before my capture."

"And you held all this time without speaking a word of our language ?"  
She nodded.

"I pretend to be deaf. Many people ready to help poor lost deaf young woman. And gestures easier to understand than language. Language can lie. Gestures not."  
Law raised his eyebrows before taking a sip of his now cold coffee. He had found an oddball. It remained for him to see what she was capable of. He gave her a brief break during which he looked at her drinking her coffee and eating her pie, before resuming the interrogation.

"What is this creature ?" He asked without taking a detour.  
Directly about was most interesting for him.

"You mean Esran ?" Seran asked, putting a hand on her chest.  
He nodded his head.

"It's complicated. Already difficult to explain in my language. Not sure about the words in yours. But I'll try."  
She thought for a moment.

"Esran is _symbiote_, it's name given in my language. It is a creature who lives in... in..."  
She paused and bit her lips before looking up at Law.

"I don't know the word. How do you say for creatures living together by helping each other ?"  
The young man raised his eyebrows, trying to understand what she meant by that. They remained silent for a moment. She quietly waited for his answer while he was thinking. Then a crazy idea crossed the physician's mind. Two creatures who help each other, a scar that may indicate a parasite had been surgically implanted in her chest and said creature linked to her vital organs... Is it meant what he thought?

"A symbiosis," he said after a little while. "This is beneficial association of two organisms, each helping the other to live, move or anything else it can't do alone."  
Seran nodded.

"That's that, it's symbiosis. It's almost sacred in Atlantis. _Symbionts_ give great powers to hosts, but not enough _symbionts_ for everyone. There are severe selections. It's a great honor to receive a _symbiote_. Hosts are elite in Atlantis. When children are eight years, they pass tests to see who can be selected for symbiosis program. Very difficult program, a lot of rejection. If you come after ten years of trials and training, you can enter Moving Pond, it's where _symbionts_ live between two hosts. It's _symbiote_ who chooses his host. If _symbiont_ approach you when you come in the Pond that say it choose you, and you can receive it. Many fail and are not selected at this time. But Esran chose me as its host and now she's in me."  
Law was beginning to regret not having anything to take notes. He was not quite sure he understood everything.

"So if I summarize, the Atlantean select children for this symbiosis program and in the end few are chosen, right ?"  
Seran nodded.

"But why ? Where did these creatures come from?"

"_Symbionts_ are ancient, appear before Atlantis. But _symbionts_ can live only in Moving Pond. Unable to move themselves. Yet they are very wise and very kind. Atlantean had no idea of who had established the first symbiosis but it's old tradition. _Symbionts_ live long, often have several hosts in existence. Atlantean allow _symbionts_ to live outside Pond, normal life as a human being, in exchange _symbionts_ give host great powers. Too complicated to explain details now. Later, when I speak better."  
A furious desire to open the young woman's chest and see how it went inside grabbed the doctor.

"And what would happen if you were separated from the _symbiote _?"

"Dying both, was the final answer. _Symbiote_ can't live outside the body, if Moving Pond isn't nearby. Host and _symbiote_ can not live without each other, once the symbiosis begin. When host dies, _symbiote_ returns to Moving Pond, waiting to find another host. But Pond is in Atlantis. If I die, Esran will too. This is punishment for letting me kill."  
There was a moment of silence and Law finally asked the question that burned his lips.

"What are the powers that these _symbionts_ give the Atlantean ?"  
Seran did not answer immediately, debating internally what she may say ans what she may not. She knew she was banished, no more subject to the oath she had sworn, but could she answer this stranger's question. Esran trusted him and the creature always had good judgment. Feeling the silent approval of her _symbiote_, Seran took a long, slow breath.

"This is very secret, but I'll say it. Just, you have to keep it to yourself. Powers given by _symbionts_ vary depending host. But host always stronger and faster than normal humans, also have better view and better ears. I can not speak of other's powers but I can show mine. Demonstration better than speech."  
She stood up, taking her empty mug and walked around the table so that Law could see her. Raising her arm, she dropped the mug on the floor where it shattered. The captain raised an eyebrow, wondering if she had lost her mind. He looked at her as she ran a hand over the debris and let out a slight shockwave. Without warning, the mug reconstituted itself as if nothing happened. Seran stooped to pick it up and put it in front of Law for him to look at it.

"I manipulate time," she explained, seating in her chair. "Not very large-scale but convenient."  
Law ran a hand across his forehead, trying to absorb what he had learned.

"The time?"

"Yes. I can bring objects to original state, or accelerate time to destroy them. But I can not act on living beings. Well, not effectively. I can for a few hours, three or four at most. I can not bring him to youth nor I can age him to kill. Useful for treating recent injuries, no more."  
Law leaned on the table and rested his chin on his clasped hands without leaving the young woman's eyes. He wanted a weapon and there he was, gaining an ally. An ally that could be very useful. He will certainly not let her escape.

"That's all you wanted to know, Captain?" She asked as he remained silent.

"No, I still have questions. Besides, I wanted to ask you..."  
He was interrupted by a shrilly whistle in the submarine's speaker.

"Captain, Midona is in sight, Shachi's voice sounded through the ship."  
Law sighed and swallowed what was left of his coffee before getting up.

"It seem I am needed," he said before heading to the door. "We'll talk latter."  
Seran leapt to her feet.

"Captain, can I come with you?"  
He hesitated a moment before nodding. A a huge smile on her face, Seran retrieved her book and brought her plate and mug at the counter.

"Thank you, Sho-san."

"You're welcome, miss," said the cook behind his stove.  
Seran left the galley and caught up with Law in the corridor. She trotted silently behind him as he went to the wheelhouse.

The door opened on a very busy crew, preparing for the ascent to the surface. Everyone was at his post, focused on his task. Seran recognized Shachi and Penguin, the first looking through the periscope, the latter installed in his seat, his arms behind his head, wearing a big smile at the thought they would finally be able to spend some time ashore. However, she had never met the colossus at the helm and watched his imposing figure for a moment, wondering how he could move through the narrow alleyways of the submarine. As she observed around her with curiosity, intrigued by the navigational instruments as well as by the crew members she did not know yet, Law moved into the captain's seat and asked for a report on their position.

"We'll reach the island in twenty minutes," captain, said Jean Bart, the helmsman.

"The Straw Hat and his crew are already here," announced Shachi still glued to the periscope. "Their ship is in the bay."  
Law stifled a sigh of resignation. Shachi left the periscope and cast a glance at his screens.

"No obstacles on the sonar."  
He put his sunglasses on before turning to Law and noted their guest's presence.

"Oh, you 're here, Seran-chan. Want to look into the periscope ?"  
The girl turned to Law.

"Can I?"  
He nodded and she hopped toward Shachi who told her what to do. When she looked into the scope, she let out a surprised exclamation who earned her a look from the Captain sitting in front of her.

"So this the surface?" She asked, maneuvering the periscope to have a panoramic view.

"Yes, what you see there, is what there is on the surface," said the brown-haired man, sitting in his chair.  
Seran continued to look into the periscope while the team was preparing the surfacing maneuver. The submarine already sailed close enough to the surface so that only the periscope was visible, the maneuver would not take long.

"Seran-ya, any obstacle to the surfacing ?" asked Law with a bored voice.  
The young woman peered into the periscope.

"Nothing to coast, Captain."

"Confirmed by the sonar," indicated Shachi, leaning back in his seat.

"Well, process, you know the drill. Seran-ya release the periscope and don't touch anything."  
Obeying, the woman left the device and planted herself behind the captain's chair, watching what was happening around her.

"Opening valves," announced Penguin. "Emptying ballast."

"Stability's correction, inclination fifteen degrees."  
The submarine tilted towards the surface. The ascent was smooth and when the submarine was horizontally stabilized again, Jean Bart announced the operation was complete. Law stood up:

"Tie up near the straw hat's ship," he ordered. "After that, everyone is free to go on the deck."  
He headed for the door.

"Follow me, Seran-ya."  
The young woman took one last look at the wheelhouse before leaving behind her Captain. He led her through the submarine to an area she did not know. After passing various corridors, ladders and an impressive amount of air-locks, Law opened a door and a stream of fresh air caressed Seran's face. She refrained herself to not rush out. She went to the deck behind the young man and approached the railing.

"Fresh air," she said, raising her arms skyward. "Too long since I had seen sky, or felt the wind on face."  
Excepted the night the pirates had snatched from her cell, she did not see the sea since her capture. She took a long, slow breath, letting the sea air fill her lungs, delighted with the fragrances of iodine. Letting out a satisfied sigh, she turned to Law.

"I missed it!"  
She gave him a bright smile, but it died almost immediately when she realized he was no longer paying attention her. Frowning, the captain watched his ally's flaming ship approaching while mechanically massaging his temples. He let out an annoyed grunt when a voice suddenly shouted :

"Hey, Torao !"  
The troubles were about to begin!


	4. Meeting the Straw Hat

**I am so happy you like the story.  
You are wonderful, all of you. ^^**

**I would like to answer to 10th Squad 3rd Seat, I too like Luffy and Law together, but I am sorry, there will be no yaoi in this story. May be I will write one, when this one is finished. **

**I just got a job ans it take all my time, so do not worry if the story is a little late. I am sorry.  
**

**Enjoy. ^^****  
**

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

**Meeting the Straw Hat**

The Heart only took a few minutes to rank alongside the Thousand Sunny, placing itself in the shadow the imposing colorful ship projected onto the waves. Before the operation was completed, however, a figure sprang from the biggest ship to land on the submarine's deck just in front of Law and Seran. The newcomer stood up, pushing back his straw hat, addressing a toothed smile to the other captain.

"Torao," he exclaimed. "We were waiting for you for a long time. I was bored."

"I don't remember giving you permission to board on my ship, Luffy-ya," Law replied without bothering to explain the reasons for the delay to his ally.  
However, it does not seem to affect Luffy who continued to smile.

"Where is your speaking bear?"  
Law suddenly had the urge to bang his head against a wall. Luffy never listened to what he said.

"Who is she," asked the youngest, pointing to Seran. "She wasn't there the last time."  
The young woman's puzzled look, passed from one captain to the other. As Law seemed in no hurry to make introductions, she took a step towards Luffy.

"Seran is name of me."  
Luffy looked at her for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"It's funny how she speaks."  
Not knowing if she should feel offended or not, Seran decided not to say anything that could increase the tension she felt from Law. She felt the young man's frustration and began to worry. Law, as she knew, seemed like someone who always was calm and in control of his emotions.

"Seran joined my crew a few days ago," was Law's only explanation. "Now we have things to discuss, Luffy-ya."  
Seran raised an eyebrow, wondering when she agreed to join the Heart's crew but made no comment about it. She had nothing against that idea, far from it actually, but still, Law could have asked her opinion. She began to understand that Law was the type to do what he decided without worrying about the others and he even didn't like when said others mess into his business even the more hazardous.

"Well, serious discussions can wait," Luffy said with a hand gesture meaning he did not care. "Tonight, we have a party."  
Law seemed on the verge of exasperation.

"A party maybe good idea, captain," remarked Seran. "How long crew not seen land?"  
Law gave her a warning look who did not seem to impress her. Before he had time to reply, however, a voice was heard behind him.

"Someone mentioned a party?"  
Glancing over his shoulder, Law saw Shachi and Penguin comming out of the submarine, followed by a part of the crew. All seemed relieved to finally see the land, and Law, although cursing his silly ally, thought they had perhaps deserved a day off. Sighing, he did what he did best since he had formed this alliance with Luffy: he gave in to the whims of his ally.

"So be it," he admitted. "Although I do not understand this mania to party at every opportunity."  
Luffy exploded with joy, raising his arms to the sky, his face literally cut in two by his smile.

"Heeeey guys," he cried, extending an arm to grab the mast of his ship. "Tonight we have a partyyyy."  
And with that, he let himself be carried away by his arm to return to the Sunny.

"This boy has stretching arm?" Seran exclaimed, widening her eyes.

"I'll explain later," Law replied dryly.  
Seran preferred to say nothing and merely leaned on the railing to watch the beach not far from the submarine. She had not set foot on the land since her capture and, even if she was beginning to enjoy the submarine, she would not say no to a little excursion on the island. She obviously was not the only one, because when she turned around, she found Shachi and Penguin talking with their captain. Thinking his plans were already postponed, Law agreed to disembark and a dinghy was launched.

"Can I come?" Asked Seran approaching.  
She did not feel very comfortable, not knowing her position in the crew yet and what she could or could not do.

"Don't try to take the opportunity to run away," warned Law, letting her pass. "I wouldn't hesitate to cut your legs to stop you."  
She gave him a disappointed look, hurt by his reaction and the lack of confidence he gave her while she told him everything he wanted to know about her and the Atlantean, although it should have been keept secret.

"If running away, where go?" She asked, her voice echoing with suppressed anger. "I got nowhere. No one to greet me... Except you. I thought you understood that."  
If that shook the captain, he did not show it. Seran turned away from him and dropped down along the ladder to the boat. She sat near Shachi who greeted her with a smile which she forced herself to answer. The chestnut haired man made no comment on what had happened and the dinghy moved away from the submarine when the captain was on board.

It is only once on the beach the crew members realized that their allies was already there for a few days. A few meters from the water, a large circle of stones and burning wood residues indicated the presence of a big campfire. On the sand, footprints and trampling showed signs of frenetic activity, to the point that Law wondered if there was really only one crew in the area.

"Oh, you're here," said a voice. "I wondered what was that fuss."  
Law turned to see Nami comming his way, pen and notebook in hand, certainly taking notes to draw the island's map.

"It's about time you come, Luffy was driving us all crazy."  
It does not seem to affect Law.

"Always so kind, I see, the redhead groaned at the young man's stoic look."  
She stood before him, hands on her hips.

"You're in better shape than the last time I saw you," she said with a vengeful smile.  
One of the young captain's eyebrows was shaken by a nervous twitch to this thinly disguised allusion to the defeat he suffered against Doflamingo and to the state in which Luffy had found him. He came to regret the beginning of this stupid alliance, when the Straw Hat crew still trembled before him. It seemed to be lost forever. The fact they saw him unconscious, bleeding on an operating table, could explain their change of attitude. Moreover, he had not had the opportunity to thank the Straw Hat's doctor for saving him. He was still unconscious when the two crews had separated in order to escape their pursuers.

"Where's the rest of your companions?" He simply asked, pretending to ignore the young woman's remark.

"Oh ! Sanji is in town, probably doing shopping for tonight's dinner. I left Robin in the forest, to a sort of obelisk in ruins. Chopper is strolling through the wood, in search of medicinal herbs. I bet Zoro is still lost, and others. .. are comming."  
She pointed to a spot behind him and Law turned to see one of the Mini Merry approaching, carrying Luffy and several of his companions. Law wondered if it was a good thing or not.

Luffy and his group landed and advanced towards their allies. The two crews began to know each other and the distrust from the beginning had given way to a sort of friendship that Seran found a bit chilly. The young woman stood on the sidelines, observing the interactions between the two crews, trying to find who held what position in this fragile group dynamics. She realized she was still hidden behind Law when she heard him whisper:

"You fear nothing with them."  
She looked up at him, a little surprised.

"Oh, it's not fear. Just, I do not know my place."  
She gave another look to the group that was beginning to stir.

"Crew not easy when official, so I guess even more complicated when pirate."  
She turned back to the doctor.

"Just ask, since when I am part of yours?"

"Since I pulled you out of your cell."  
Seran bowed her head to the side, thinking.

"Logic," was her only answer.  
She did not seem particularly bothered by the forced incorporation to the young man's crew. Probably she thought it was a logical consequence of her crime, a murderer like her had no other destiny than to become a pirate. Or she did use logic in accepting the only solution that met her. After all, as she recalled earlier, she had nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Besides the Marine was not about to give up on her so easily. She knew perfectly well that, alone, she will have not a chance to escape the Marine, nor the dangers punctuating the New World. Between two evils, she will choose the lesser, and the Heart Pirates had treated her better than the Marine, or even the authorities of her native island.

"Just ask one thing," she said, raising an index to signify the importance of the request.  
Law gave her a disapproving look that does not prevent her to continue :

"I want go into town to find new clothes."  
She looked down at the suit and tee-shirt she was still wearing. Law raised an eyebrow in surprise, he was expecting something worse.

"Don't take it bad," she added, as if to save the captain's sensibilities. "I have nothing against crew's uniform but just, is not very feminine, right? Not very comfortable in it. I am used things lighter, less tight."  
Law did not answer immediately. Apart from Jean Bart and himself, all his crew's member was wearing this "uniform" as the young woman said. If he was not wearing it, it's because he was the captain and as such, he wanted to stand out. As to Jean Bart, they had just never found a suit his size. Was she worth an exception, too? She was a woman, in fact, the only one of his crew, which was already an exception, but was she worth to risk the fragile peace of his ship? He did not want a girl wandering into her mini skirt in his submarine, maddening his men on her way. The combination therefore seemed a perfect solution.

"We'll see," he said finally, to get rid of the issue.  
Without giving her time to reply, he walked over to the group formed by the two crews. Seran's eyes followed him a moment, uncertain of what to do or say in the presence of the other pirates.

The party planned by Luffy seemed to have already begun, judging by the laughter and happy conversation that greeted them. Seran was reassured that Law did not seem more comfortable than her, but it was probably because his plans had once again been deferred to later. All eyes turned to them when they joined and Luffy soon monopolized Law, leaving Serran alone with all these strangers.

"Uh. .. Hello," she said uncertainly, "it is a pleasure to meet you."  
No response from the Straw Hats' side who watched her with eyes round as saucer. The young woman wondered if she had done something wrong.

"Yohohohoho! It's a pleasure to meet you too, beautiful lady."  
Seran looked up to whom had spoken and felt herself pale. Surprised and afraid, she tried to step back and ended up losing her balance and falling butt on the sand, exclaiming :

"A talking skeleton!"  
She stared with amazement when said skeleton bowed politely to her.

"My name is Brook, I 'm sorry I scared you, beautiful lady."  
He handed a skeletal hand that the young woman hesitated a moment before taking. Once she was on her feet, she slowly nodded.

"It is I who am sorry for reaction. Just was surprised. I'm not expecting to see a talking skeleton, but me crew have talking bear."  
She gave an apologetic smile at Brook while behind her, Shachi and Penguin were teasing Bepo who apologized for being a talking bear.

"Can I ask you, pretty lady, what color is your underwear," threw Brook as if it was natural to ask a young woman he had just met.

"What kind of question is that?" cried Law, fast approaching, attracted by Seran's squeak.

"I have no underwear," the young woman replied frankly.

"And why did you answer it, you?" Growled the captain, planting himself near her.  
He had just time to see Shachi and Penguin steep drop on the sand, a geyser of blood arising from their nostrils.

Gently massaging his temples, victim of his usual headache, Law glanced at Seran who seemed to wonder what she had done wrong. In addition to teaching in language, he would also have to teach her to not always be as straightforward. In the meantime, knowing that she wore nothing under her suit was a detail that the young man would have preferred to ignore. Knowing the perverts hanging around, it was better quickly remedy this slight absence.

"Seran-ya, it isn't a bad idea to go into town, after all."  
The woman gave him a radiant smile.

"Come with me, Captain?"

"No, I have to stay here and. .. Watch what happens."  
He added that by throwing a resigned glance toward Luffy who danced arm-in-arm with Franky and Usopp. Seran seemed a little disappointed, but she hastened to show a grateful smile. After all, he was not obliged to accept her request.

"But I'll not let you go alone."  
She raised an eyebrow.

"Always afraid that I escape?"  
Law did not deign to respond, which wiped Seran's smile. She let out a sigh of disappointment while turning away from him. Without worrying about it, Law called Bepo. The bear was by far the best solution to kep an eye on the young woman. She knew and trusted him and he was not interested in human women, so he was not likely to exploit the situation for ogling while she was changing.

"I heard someone talking about shopping?" Nami interrupted while Law was talking with Bepo.  
The redhead stared at the young captain with stars in her eyes. She was never the last when it came to raid the store, especially with the hope of someone else paying.

"It's just to accompany Seran while she looks for something."  
Nami turned to the blonde who obviously did not really know how to react, before returning to Law.

"No problem, I'll dress her anew" she said with a huge smile.  
Law wondered if he should be worried or not. Searching the pockets of his jeans, he handed a wad of beris to Bepo.

"That's all I have, she had to content herself with that."  
As Nami reached for the money, Law gave her a warning look.

"It's not for you I pay, Nami-ya."  
The girl raised her hands, taking an innocent look, then turned to Seran to hide her smile.

"Come on, let's get you something more flattering than that to wear."  
With Law's agreement, Seran followed the redhead.

The trio left the small beach and went into the coastal forest that bordered the sand, while Nami explained that the only town on the island was not far away. This was more a village than a city, actually, but there were still a few shops they might visit. The island itself was not that important, it was far from everything and most of the ships passed off without even care. A small fishing port, some farms here and there, a small forest and cultivated fields, was pretty much all there was here. However, the geography of the coast make it an ideal place to hide, the island had four well hidden creeks like the one in which both crews had joined.

While the trio arrived at the edge of the forest, Nami suddenly began waving to someone. Seran saw a young woman stood up, half hidden behind a bush. Seeing them, she gave up on what she was doing and approached them, a notebook and a pen in hand. She put her sketchbook in her backpack and threw it over her shoulder.

"So, this stone?" Nami asked, as the young woman joined them.

"It does not look like anything I 've seen on this island. I guess it had got here by accident. It may have been on a ship who made a stop here."  
The brunette stopped in front of them and looked from Seran to Bepo.

"I see you 're finally arrived," she said with a smile. "I do not think I know you, I'm Robin."  
She held out a hand to Seran who took it.

"Seran. I'm new."

"Strange accent," noticed the archaeologist, "where did it come from?"

"Far away," the Atlantean replied evasively, not wanting to answer a bunch of new questions.  
Robin smiled and Nami did not take long to invite her friend to go with them.

They crossed a small piece of countryside on a raised path over the fields, before seeing the first buildings in the city. Seran tried not to pay attention to the suspicious looks the inhabitants of the island threw at them. In town, the greeting was not better. Most villagers watched them in silence. Women parting their way with their children, distraught, men not daring to approach them and the owner of the first shop they found, paled so they thought he was going to faint.

"Something bothers them?" Seran asked as she inspected the shelves.  
Two women rushed out of the store leaving their bags behind them.

"It's because of me, sorry," apologized Bepo behind her.  
An aura of depression was spreading around the polar bear.

"It's not because of you," said Nami, a pile of clothes on her arms. "It's because of this."  
She pointed to the Heart's Jolly Roger on the bear's suit and Seran's tee-shirt.

"It's not surprising that everyone flee before you with a captain applying his mark on everything he owns."  
She stuffed the clothes into Seran's arms.

"Here, try this."  
With that she left Seran in the changing room before getting there herself with her own choice of clothes. Bepo waited patiently while the three young women made their own little fashion show.

"They really have nothing interesting," complained Nami once out of the shop. "We see that this island is far from everything."  
She took a look at the bags Bepo was holding.

"You must really be in need of clothes."  
Seran nodded.

" Yes, can say that. But I wouldn't take clothes if I had not loved."  
Nami seemed to think that the young woman was crazy.

"There was another shop over there," she pointed in one direction.  
The small group began to cross the main street to the store designated by the navigator, when a voice sounded behind them:

"Nami-swaaaaan, Robin-chwaaaaaan!"  
Everyone turned to see a tall blond man in black suit running toward them, bags full of food in his arms. When he saw Seran, however, he rushed towards her, hearts in his eyes.

"Who is this lovely lady?" he cried enthusiastically.

"She is a Heart," Nami replied by grabbing him by the back of his jacket. "I'll avoid annoying her if I were you. You don't want anything to do with her captain, right!"  
She said that with a smile that was almost frightening and Seran wondered what it could mean. The blond, however, seemed accustomed to this kind of threat, and it did not stop him exclaiming while extending his arms towards the redhead, his bags forgotten on the floor :

"Ooooooooh Nami darling, you worry about me !"

"As if !"  
With that the redhead turned her back and walked away in the shopping street. The dashing blond introduced himself to Seran as Sanji, the Straw Hats' cook. After recovering his bag, he rushed in behind the navigator, trying to make her admit she was worried for him, which earned him a blow on the head.

"They are all fools in crew," Seran noticed softly.  
Bepo patted her shoulder whith of one of his big paw, in a gesture that was meant to be reassuring.

They followed Nami in the second shop, then a third and finally a last, the navigator obviously refusing to admit defeat in front of a near empty stock of clothes. When they had turned all shops upside down, even asking to see what was in the storerooms and that the navigator was resigned to go with only three bags, they decided it was time to join with their respective crews. They returned to the main street to leave the town, noticing that the sun had already begun to set. Talking quietly, the three young women walked in front of the cook and the polar bear carrying their bags. The blond had fun teasing the redhead and it almost earned him a shot from her staff.

Seran watched the two companions bicker in the middle of the street, under the watchful and approving eyes of the archaeologist. She did not notice the tall figure who suddenly stood before her and slammed hard in the man. Recoiling in shock, she looked at the young man she shoved, rubbing her forehead.

"Oh, I'm sor..."  
Her words died on her lips when she laid eyes on the man who was staring at her with an threatening smile. Large, even bigger than Law, with broad shoulders, he seemed built all in muscles and exuded an impressive aura of strength and endurance. But what especially caught the Atlantean's eyes, were his face crossed with scars, his painted lips and red hair. .. and the mechanical arm under his jacket.

"Eustass Kid," Sanji said quietly while lighting a cigarette.  
However, the defiance in his voice, alarmed Seran.


	5. Meeting Captain Kid

**Chapter 5:**

**Meeting Captain Kid.**

The guy's smile widened as he leaned toward Seran to get a better view. The young woman stepped back, feeling a shiver up her spine. It was not fear she felt when she looked at him, it was more like distrust. Esran, which had been so fast to accept Law, told her that, even though she should not be afraid of this man, she should not get too close. He was dangerous.

"Look at that," he said, glancing at the small group. "The Doc's crew and the Straw Hat's. Together. Hands in hands. If this is not nice!"  
An ominous grin followed his statement.

"If it's a fight you want, you knock on the right door," said Sanji taking a long drag on his cigarette.  
The guy's snarl deepened while Seran turned to Bepo.

"He's our friend?" She asked, pointing at Kid.  
She already had an idea of the answer, but better be safe.

"No," said the bear. "He's the captain's rival. Well, one of his rivals."

"I see," the young woman said before turning back to the impressive redhead.  
She understood why Esran incited her to distrust this man.

"Say what you want from us, or let we go," she said to Kid, looking straight into his eyes.  
The redhead frowned. He did not expect so much challenge and determination from a member of the surgeon's crew. As far as he cared, Law was surrounded by weaklings and cowards. This brat, however, had the nerve to face him without even shuddering.

"What tell you I want something?"  
Seran shrugged:

"We all want something."  
It made Kid laugh.

"Yeah, you're right, kid. See, I think we talk too much of your captain since his little trip in Dressrosa. He's a little too big-headed for his own good. He deserve some lesson to remind him his place."  
While he was talking, his wicked grin never stopped to grow. The young woman's eyes became harder and her face froze into defiance.

"If you want captain, you will start with me."  
Logic would have wanted her to be discreet and leave the redhead quibble as he wanted without trying to interfere. After all, his words were nothing more than provocation. But he intended to attack Law and the young woman could not tolerate that. She owe him her life, she would have probably been dissected by the Marine's scientists without him. Besides he had taken her on his ship and in his crew when he could as well have sold her to the highest bidder or even cut her himself to find her secrets. He gave her a new life she was not sure to deserve. Perhaps it was for that, perhaps for other reasons she not yet guessed, or maybe it was just Esran's influence, anyway, she could not stay still when someone threatened her captain in front of her.

"You don't know who you are dealing with, brat," growled the redhead.

"True," admitted Seran, "but you neither!"  
Oh, she felt that he was strong. Far more than her, with no doubt. She probably had no chance to win fight against him, but that does not mean she would not try.

The Atlanteans were not known to be violent and brawler, but every rule has its exception, is not it. Since she left Atlantis, Seran had the opportunity to understand the strength was the shortest way to solve many problems in the outside world. At first it had surprised her and she had tried to avoid any conflict, but witnessing others use their power to get what they wanted, she had lost scruples to use hers. As she visited the outside world, she understood that the nonviolent Atlantean society, ran by archaic precepts, was nothing of the paradise the _Matriarchs_ wanted them to believe. The outside world was certainly not perfect, far from it, but at least everyone was free to become what they wanted to be, even a lawless pirate. This new freedom was something exhilarating for her, even if, for some time, she did not know what to do with it. But at this moment, facing this man, she finally understood what she was going to do with her new life: to serve the man who had given it to her.

The smile that appeared on the young woman's lips was not to please Kid. Except for Jewelry Bonney, no girl had ever dared to challenge him like that. Even men do not so openly challenged him. Of two things, or this girl was mad, or she hid a lot more under her frail appearance than what was obvious. Kid had learned that one should never judge by appearances, but he had always struggled to take women seriously. This one was no exception. A lesson would not hurt her, just to teach her to fear him.

"Seran," cried Bepo.  
The redhead's steel fist fall violently down on the ground, forcing the young woman to jump back to dodge. When the dust disappeared around Kid, a surly smile graced his face. Seran straightened, not taking her eyes from him.

" I guess that means fight," she said, shaking her head to remove the locks falling into her eyes. Too bad captain was not here to see that.  
Perhaps, she could finally know her place in the crew.

The week she had spent on the submarine had allowed her to recover her strength. Focusing part of her power around her, she released it in a slight shock wave that spread in a circle around her, raising dust, stones and other trash littering the street before they fall back on the ground. Her time area was not as clearly defined as the translucent sphere Law created when using his devil fruit power, but she knew exactly what was her limit. She saw it as clearly as if someone had drawn it in chalk around her. In this area, the time itself was her toy and she could do whatever she wanted with it, within certain limits at least.

The few spectators who were still there to watch them were crying in fear but it was not enough to distract the young woman from the redhead in front of her. Focused on her opponent, she was barely aware of the tensions rising around them. The men who accompanied the redhead seemed as eager to fight as their captain and her own companions seemed determined to defend themselves. Everyone was waiting the first move to engage the battle. And they did not need to wait any longer.

Kid jumped on Seran, brandishing his iron fist he throw it violently on the young woman. Reacting with unusual speed, the Atlantean moved, jumping to dodge the blow, falling several feet away. Her feet slipped on the ground, and she put a hand on the pavement to retrieve her balance. Leaning on tiptoe, she jumped towards her opponent. A new shock wave was felt and the girl literally disappeared from sight to suddenly reappear right under his nose. Taking advantage of the momentum, she threw a kick to his head, he managed to parry raising his mechanical arm. Reacting immediately, Seran leaned on the prosthesis to gain momentum and launched a new blow to the redhead's head. This time she managed to send him flying through the nearest wall. She fell back on her feet, trying to ignore the pain that went through her leg. This guy's head was harder thana steel wall!

It took, however, much more than that to shake the solid redhead who pulled away from the debris without further injury than a thin trickle of blood at the corners of his lips. He stared at the young woman and wiped the blood with the back of his right hand. There was no denying this brat knew how to put a good kick and hit harder than her frail stature implied. The surgeon had finally decided to gather a crew worthy of his name? Bah! No matter, it does not change a thing.

"You're stronger than I thought," admitted Kid spitting blood that flowed in his mouth.

"You've seen nothing," replied the young woman putting carefully her foot on the ground.  
Cruel smile on his lips, Kid raised his hand and pointed at the woman. Immediately, all the city had of metal objects rushed to him, forming a coating around his good arm. Eyes bulging, Seran looked at his giant limb, reacting by reflex to avoid being crushed.

"Another one with strange power!"  
She began to wonder if all the pirates of the outside world were afflicted with this kind of strange abilities. First, cut limbs remaining alive, then a guy with stretching arms and now this?. .. Where had she fallen? Finally the Atlanteans did not invent anything with their symbionts. Those outsiders knew exactly how to do without them. Which led her to wonder why the Marine need her abilities so much.

"Hey, this isn't the time to dream," spoke Sanji pulling her from her reflection.  
The blond with the curling eyebrows dodged the whirling blades of a masked guy before retaliated with a big kicks that sent his opponent rolling away.

Seran turned just in time to dodge the giant fist slamming into her. She jumped like a panther, falling lightly on the composite arm and running at full speed towards the redhead's head. He dodged her kick by raising his mechanical arm before sending her rolling in the dust with a gesture. Before she had the time to recover, however, the giant arm suddenly decomposed, leaving a variety of blades and spikes falling to the ground before putting the remaining objects together again. With a flick of his mechanical hand, Kid sent the blades and spikes directly toward Seran. The Atlantean realized she would never have time to dodge everything and release a new shock wave that stopped dead all blades thrown at her. The weapons remained hanging in the air, as if they were attached to invisible stings, leaving behind them strange wake as if they had passed through a water wall.

Kid frowned seeing all the weapons hanging in thin air and prepared to assimilate them as soon as the young woman would return them in his face. She did not do it, however, and, dropping her concentration, she just let the blade drop to the ground. The redhead took the opportunity to immediately attract them to him with his power. Before they could return to his giant arms, however, Seran produced a new shock wave who reached the weapons before they were able to join with Kid and reduced them to a pile of rusty iron filings that fell on the redhead like a cloud of dust.

"What was that?" he growled.

"Just a little demonstration," Seran smiled, pleased with his reaction.  
The redhead frowned, eyeing the young woman with suspicion.

"And what is your power, brat? You can reduce the metal to mere flake?"

"Not just metal. All objects, actually."  
The redhead laughed.

"It's a good one there. Let's see what you can do against it all?"  
He threw himself on her, but before reaching her, he let his composite arms fall apart again and threw everything around her, creating a moving barrier. Surrounded, Seran had no way to dodge the fist the redhead threw at her with such force that she was thrown through the nearest wall. Although shaken, the Atlantean managed to jump to her feet in time to avoid the rain of pans, pipes, poles and other kitchen utensils thrown on her. Kid drew it all to him to re-form his giant arm and attacked again, swinging Seran through another wall. Dazed, she does not react when the redhead's steel fist closed around her, lifting her from the ground. Trapped, stuck with her arms along her body, Seran could do nothing to release herself except reduce the giant arm to a small pile of rust.

Before she had time to do anything, however, a strange translucent barrier appeared around them, including almost the entire village. A second later, she found herself suddenly pressed against a hard chest. Looking up, she was surprised to meet Law's eyes who stared at her with a smirk.

"What?. .. what happened?"  
The young woman turned her head to see Kid carrying a big giant rock in his fist. She realized she had changed places with the rock even though she did not understand how. Law pushed her aside before moving to the redhead, his nodachi casually resting on his shoulder. He exuded an impressive aura of calm and confidence.

"I beg you not to damage what belongs to me, Eustass-ya," he said, standing in front of the redhead. "If you have a message for me, address directly to me."  
A sharp smile spread on Kid's purple lips.

"It's been a while, Doc!" He said sarcastically.

"Are you sure you want to fight, Eustass-ya?"  
Without losing his smile, the redhead looked around him. Law did not come alone, much of his crew was with him. Besides, the Straw Hat's were here to. His men were greatly outnumbered. Killer had much to do with Sanji, Heat still had not managed to get rid of Bepo and Wire was out, beaten by the two girls of the Straw Hat's crew. The others would not last long. Yet he did not seem to worry. His men were big boys, strong and sturdy, they will come out of that mess. For those who fail to do so, he would have no remorse in sending them find another crew.

His answer to the Hearts captain's question did not need to wait longer. Shattering the rock between the fingers of his giant hand, he swung the pieces to his opponent. With a simple hand gesture Law stopped them and sent them back to the redhead. Kid smashed them with a mere flip of his hand and replied, throwing his giant arm to Law. He quickly drew his nodachi and threw the sheath to Seran before slicing into space. To the young woman's amazement, the composite arm fell to the ground, sliced, although the blade had not reached it. Law does not, however, have time to use his advantage, Kid send the crumbs at him. With a single stroke of his sword, Law cut them off and threw them away before they touch him. Immediately, Kid pulled the pieces to him, re-forming his gigantic arm.

"This is bad," cried Shachi rushing into the circle formed by the translucent dome.  
Seran gave him a questioning look.

"The captain can handle everything inside this area," explained the pirate. "But he can't send all this junk out. He can cut whatever he wants, Kid will always recover the pieces. Worse, the more Captain cut off these projectiles the more weapons Kid could use against him."

"Unless they disappear," concludes the young woman.  
Shachi looked at her without understanding what she meant by that, but when she handed him the nodachi's sheath, he took it without question. The confrontation between the two captains did not let Seran the opportunity to approach, however.

Inside the translucent dome, the two men did not do any favor to the other, using all way at their disposal to defeat the other. Dust and metal shards whirled like a cyclone while Law's blade drew bright arcs who burst from all sides like lightning during a violent storm. Several buildings collapsed under the two captains' onslaught, giving new opportunities for Law's defense who did not hesitate to use stones against Kid's metal projectiles. Both were covered with bruises, bloody wounds and dust. Seran had never seen anything like this. It was like watching two lions fight.

Again, Kid threw the crumbs to his opponent, but this time he will not content to attack blindly. After watching Law since the start of their duel, he had realized that the surgeon did not move as well as he usually did. The redhead and the doctor had already fought and neither of them could take the lead. But this time was not like the others. Something bothered Law's movements and Kid was not going to let this slip. As soon as the redhead saw Law move to dodge, raising a hand to counter his projectiles with his own, he clenched his fist and changed the course of a barrel to throw it in the surgeon's legs. Overtaken, Law failed to dodge. Unbalanced, he made an effort to stay on his feet. It was the moment Kid chooses to strike. Reconstructing his arm, he rushed to Law and gave him a blow of his giant fist. The doctor was literally swept and rolled in the dust, meters away. The translucent dome disappeared immediately while its creator collapsed on the pavement, one hand clutching his right side, blood flowing between his fingers.

"Captain!" Shachi cried, rushing towards him.  
Seran did not understand what was happening. The blow was violent, but not enough to put someone like Law in such a state.

"You reopened your wounds," she heard Shachi cry out.  
Seran suddenly remembered her first days aboard the Heart. Specifically this morning when she found herself face to face with Law in the shower room. The young man wore a tight bandage around his chest and left shoulder. How could she forget that?

"So Doc," the redhead grinned as he approached. "It seems that your meeting with Doflamingo didn't leave you unharmed."  
Law gave him a killing look but, unable to catch his breath, could not reply. Kid let out a chuckle that die in his throat when Seran stood before him.

"What did you want?"  
The young woman did not answer. She merely raised one hand and release one of her shock waves. The redhead's arm consisting of scrap of metal was pulverized in particles of rust that fell like dust on the floor.

"That's twice you use that trick," he growled.

"I say, you will not touch the captain while I'm standing."

"And you think you're enough?" Kid said, bursting into laughter.  
Seran bit her lips, annoyed. It was obvious that he was the captain of his crew, he obviously did not understand the loyalty she could devote to her's. Although she had no chance against him, she would certainly not let him threaten Law.

"I can do nothing against your body, she said with a smile, but against your mechanical arm, I can."  
With a swiftness which surprised the pirate captain, she slipped on his side and merely put the tips of her fingers on his prosthesis. It launched a disturbing creaking before dropping from the redhead's stump and falling to the ground where it rusted in mere second. Kid screamed when the wire connecting the prosthesis to what remained of muscles and nerves in his arms were torn from his flesh. Excruciating pain knocked him out almost immediately, ending the battle.

Abandoning his fight against Sanji, Killer ran to his captain. Putting his arm around the redhead's shoulders, the masked blond lifted the huge carcass of his superior and dragged him away, calling those of their men who could still move to withdraw from the battle. Seran made no gesture to stop him to get his captain and let them go without seeking revenge.

"We must bring the captain to the submarine," Shachi informed.  
The Hearts gathered around their leader but Seran stayed away, still not knowing where she belonged.

The battle ended as well. The Hearts hastened to go back to their ship to treat their captain's wound and Luffy's crew left the wounded pirates without trying to finish them off. Each crew returned to his ship. Momentarily forgotten, Seran followed the rest of her crew without getting noticed, jumping into the boat just as it was leaving the beach. Law was brought directly to the hospital where his assistant immediately took him. Seran did not know him well, having met him only two or three times since her arrival, but deduced if he was allowed to treat Law's wounds that would means he was able to do so.

Tired Seran slid along the wall near the door and drew her knees against her chest. Bepo joined her ten minutes later to say he had carried her bags in her cabin. The young woman merely nodded, her face plunged between her knees. Not offended, the bear opened the door of the infirmary but did not enter the room.

"The Straw Hat's doctor is wondering if you need his help," he announced.  
Seran looked up and saw a man in a white coat fussing around Law who seemed unconscious on the steel table.

"No, it's okay," he replied without looking back. "I have the situation in hand."  
With that Bepo closed the door and sat on the floor next to Seran. They remained silent for a moment and the bear put his big paws on the girl's shoulder.

"Don't worry Seran-chan, the captain is stronger than he looks. He will quickly recover."  
She had no choice but to believe him.

"It's my fault," she sighed. "If I had not provoked this man, it would not have happened. The captain would not come and would not be injured. Just because I wanted to prove myself useful."

"Knowing Kid, he would have attacked us even without provocation. It's not your fault."  
It did not really help Seran to get rid of her guilt.

The young woman and the bear waited silently in the hallway. Penguin and Shachi soon came to join them. They exchanged a few words with Bepo but Seran paid no attention. They stood for a long time in front of the door, Seran and Bepo sitting on the floor with Shachi and Penguin standing on each side. An hour or two later, the doctor and three male nurses who had lent him a hand came out of the room. Seran tried not to pay attention to the blood staining his white coat as she stood up. She stayed behind when Shachi and Penguin rushed to him while asking:

"So, how is he?"  
A small smile played on the doctor's lips:

"He isn't in danger but he must rest. He lost a lot of blood. Hopefully this time he has learned his lesson and be more carefull. He wants to see you."  
He cast a glance towards Seran.

"You too."  
With that he went away up the corridor to the crew quarters. He had a whole crew of worried pirates to reassure.

Seran almost expected her three companions to burst into the room and jump on their captain, but they did not. They walked quietly, heading to the back of the room, where was the bed in which Law was lying. Seran felt a cold sweat ran down her spine when she saw the puddle of still fresh blood at the foot of the operating table and the young man's bloodied sweatshirt, cut and left on the ground. She had to make an effort to break away from this vision and join the other three. Law was waiting, awake. He looked tired and paler than usual but did not seem as bad as Seran feared. A new bandage fitted tightly around his torso and shoulder, hiding his tattoo.

"Captain, how do you feel?" shouted Shachi, arriving near the bed.

"Quiet," protested the young man, "I have a headache."  
He watched the four of them.

"If I knew Kid was here, I certainly wouldn't let you go to town, I have made clear to the Straw Hat it was better to quickly leave this island."  
He turned to Shachi and Penguin:

"You two, call and tell him to make his party later, we must leave before Kid had the time to come back. Head to Ranchorosa as soon as the ship is ready. I will share my plan with Straw Hat later."

"Yes Captain," they replied in one voice.  
They hastened to go take care of the task that had been entrusted to them. Law turned to Seran.

"I'm sorry," she began. "I didn't want ..."  
He silenced her with a gesture.

"You did well," he said. "I saw how you stood against Kid. But believe me, it's not enough. You need a good training to be ready. Bepo will train you. You start tomorrow."  
Not knowing what to do or how to react, Seran merely nodded. It was perhaps Law's idea of a punishment.


	6. Esperia

**New chapter, my dear rea****ders.****  
****I saw several of you wondered how far Seran's power would go. Well, they will reveal themself progressively during the story. I already have two or three ideas that I would like to use.  
I'm also thinking about a poll about some choices, but not immediately.  
For now, it's chapter time!  
Enjoy. ^^**

**Thank you so much for all your reviews, they make me so happy and give me the will to carry on.**

* * *

**Chapter 6:**

**Esperia.**

Seran read the exercise again and thoughtfully scratched her head, a dubious frown on her face. Even if she found Law's handwriting pleasant to look at and to read, it did not help her to unravel the riddle of the exercise she was supposed to do. The surgeon had such an ability to play with words that made it more complicated for her than in her books. She heard a mocking laugh behind her and her torturer's voice immediately raised.

"A problem Seran-ya?" He asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Not at all, captain," she replied, determined to get the answers without his help.  
A moment later, the crunch of her quill on paper could be heard in the cabin.

It had become a habit between them since they left Midona, a week ago. Forced to rest, to let his wounds heal properly, Law was really bored. As soon as he had the opportunity to have a little fun at his latest recruit's expense, he grabbed it without remorse. Especially if it could help the young woman to speak their language correctly. Thus every day, she spent two or three hours in his cabin to do the twisted exercises he made up for her. They were not useless either to teach her how to write. Her still childish and hesitant handwriting asserted each day to start to look like something readable.

"The time is up," Law announced after a moment. "Show me what you did."  
The young woman ended the sentence she was writing before tuning back to him. Law laid the book he was reading down on his knees and held out his hand. Seran stood up to give him her paper. She stood beside the bed in which Law was sitting, leaning against several pillows, legs extended in front of him. He took his time to read the exercises, making silently fun of the young woman's mistakes. There was fewer than before but they were still present. Her spelling level was good, a slight tendency to forget the plural and gender but overall it was satisfactory for someone who spoke their language for less than three weeks and wrote it for less longer. Her conjugation level however was not quite right. He corrected the mistakes and gave her her paper so she could see what she had done wrong.

"You always have trouble with the genders and the plural," he commented as she went through the paper.

"This is because it doesn't exist in atlantean," she replied without looking.  
Law raised an eyebrow.

"How so?"  
She looked up at him.

"There is no male nor female in atlantean, or even plural. It's the sentence's context who determine the gender and number of what we are talking about."  
Law looked at her without saying anything. Guessing what he was thinking, Seran added:

"Don't get me wrong, there has numbering, but the words don't change between plural and singular. It's because the Atlanteans do not write with letters like you, but with symbols that express ideas. I'll show you."  
She went to get her quill and a blank sheet of paper on the desk and sat on the bed next to Law. Silently, he looked her draw a strange figure who looked like a set of elegant arabesques.

"That's the glyph for something that float. Anything as long as it floats."  
She added another glyph to the right of the first.

"This means a building, it can be a house, an estate, a temple. Separately, they are vague and have no specific meaning. But put together, as in there, the idea becomes clearer, it is a building that floats, in other words, a ship."  
She drew another figure on the next line.

"We can also mix them together to express very specific things. This glyph is the sea and this one, something situated under something else. If you mix them like that."  
She drew a new glyph putting the previous two together.

"This one refer to something under the sea. And if you add this glyph to those that form the idea of the boat, it gives something else again."

"A submarine," Law asserted without taking his eyes off of the strange symbols.

"Exact, a ship able to travel under the sea, a submarine. You understand quickly. Separately, the glyphs didn't have much sense, they must be combined with one or more other to mean something specific. It's why atlantean's texts are horribly long."

"It would be helpful," the surgeon remarked, thoughtfully stroking his goatee. "It would be a good way to send coded messages to Straw Hat without fearing the Marine or anyone else could understand."

"Indeed," approved Seran. "But it's necessary that someone could understand atlantean on Luffy-kun's ship."

"I'm sure their archaeologist would be able to learn it, perhaps their navigator too."  
Seran thought for a moment, wondering how to teach someone from the outside world to read the atlantean could be considered as a treason, before remembering that Atlantis had betrayed her first.

"I am willing to teach them. I think we could use glyphs without having to learn the language. I need to think about it."  
Law merely nodded, deciding to let her manage that issue alone.

"I trust you," he said, knowing full well what effect it would have on the young woman. "Do your best."  
To his satisfaction, a bright smile spread on Seran's face. The pirate had no need to think hard to understand how to manipulate her. She gave much importance to what he might think of her and tried to win both his approval and trust. It was easy to get her to do what he wanted without having to raise his voice. But he could not deny that the young woman's character asserted daily and Law doubted that his ruse would work any longer. He would have to be careful if he wanted to keep the young woman under his control.

"It'll be time for your training," he said.  
Seran tilted her head to the side and looked like she was thinking.

"Ah yes, it's true," she said as if she had looked to a clock.  
She seemed, however, in no hurry to leave.

"Bepo looks happy with your results. It seems you're a good student. You quickly learned the basics."

"It is rather Bepo who is a good teacher. And Esran is eager to learn, she added, pressing a hand against her chest."

"Eager to learn how to fight?"  
Seran shook her head :

"Not necessarily. But symbionts are the guardians of all their guests' memories and they are always eager to learn new things. The problem is, Atlantis is a small island. There is not much to see and learn. I think Esran was bored there. I was too."  
With these words, she stood up and stretched languorously like a lazy cat.

"Well, I'm going before Bepo wait for me too long."  
She came near of Law's office and laid her papers and exercises in a corner so that they will not bother the captain when he would take is place back.

"Thanks for the lesson, Captain," she said, walking toward the door.  
She went out but Law called :

"Seran-ya !. .. Starting tomorrow, you'll also train with me."  
She turned towards him, mouth open.

"But, your wounds?"

"I rested long enough, I need training too. And it isn't as if you could harm me," he added with a sarcastic smile.  
Seran pressed her lips into an upset pout.

"Who knows," she said before leaving, closing the door behind her.  
She did not hear the mocking laugh following her departure.

For several days, Seran had trained to fight bare handed with Bepo. If she failed to match the polar bear, she nevertheless got out honorably, due to her physical prowess. Whether it was Esran's influence or something else that had yet to be discovered, Law learned that the young woman was surprisingly fast and agile, much more than anyone else in the crew, except him. She dodged more blows she managed to give but the few who reached Bepo were more strong than what a normal woman could have done. And more accurate too. Law was confident. With proper training, the young woman would soon become an important part of his crew. He certainly was not going to miss this opportunity.

* * *

Seran got up when she heard Law's footsteps on the wooden deck. She had learned to easily recognize the noise made by his heels on the floor and could recognize him even when he was surrounded by others. Dusting her white pant with one hand, the young woman walked away from Bepo. That day, they had intentionally completed their training by a meditation session. The young woman had time to catch her breath before training with her captain. The young man stood before her in his usual black spotted jeans and sweatshirt with his Jolly Roger, his nodachi casually resting on his shoulder and the Atlantean blade he had confiscated in his other hand. At the sight of her weapon, Seran hopped on her spot. She lacked its weight on her hip even if she felt no threat aboard the pirate submarine.

"Show me what you can do with that," defied Law throwing her the Atlantean blade.  
Seran grabbed her sword by the handle pointing it down, and let the sheath fall to the ground due to its own weight. As soon as she was naked, the weapon threw bluish iridescence which spread along its blade like an evening flame. Law frowned. In its owner's hands, the blade seemed to come to life with an energy unknown to him. And the feeling that suddenly emanated from the weapon was very unpleasant.

"Strange," he noticed without taking his eyes off of the blade. "It did not react like that when I inspected it the other day."

"It's normal, the Atlantean's blades are made to react only to the host for which it was forged. I don't really know what causes it. Some say it's his master's soul, others said it's a kind of aura surrounding it. I think anyone can give some answers when _symbionts_ are involved."

"And what is it capable of? Does it have powers too?"  
Seran shook her head.

"No, if not its solidity and sharpness. Some would say that these weapons have their character and that some are more cruel than others, but I think it's due only to their owner. When a host dies, his blade also dies, it loses its iridescence and becomes inert. Most often, they are destroyed."

"And this weapon has a name, I suppose?" suggested Law.  
It seemed logical to give a name to such an object.

"Esperia. It's a bird found in Atlantis, easily recognizable by its blue plumage and its large wings. It could live only in trees. If landing on the ground, it's doomed to die, the size of its wings preventing it from flying off again."  
She stared at Law with a mysterious smile.

"The glyph used to write its name also means "dream" because Atlantean's traditions claims that this bird is the messenger carrying the dreams to heaven."

"Beautiful story," admitted the captain, although he did not seem the least affected. "A very innocent name for a weapon meant to kill."

"Quiet the contrary, it isn't. Well, I must say "it wasn't". Atlantean's weapons are only dissuasive. The Atlanteans worship life, they don't fight nor kill. At least, not if they don't have a good reason to do so."  
Law frowned.

"And yet, you killed four marines."  
A cruel smile played on the young woman's lips and Law could not help but think it didn't suit her.

"I've always been the family's black sheep."  
Law wondered how far it could be true.

"Come on, show me what you can do."  
He drew his nodachi, and let the sheath fall to the ground. Seran glanced at the blade pointed toward her before looking up to Law.

"You asked me the name of my sword, but you still hasn't given me the name of yours."  
A smile spread on the young man's lips.

"What make you think it have one?"

"Just the feeling it gives me. Whenever you drew it of its sheath, I feel like a threat, an imminent danger."  
Law gave an amused laugh.

"You're right, it's cursed. Cursed blades choose their master and serve only him. Its name is Kikoku."

"And what does it mean?"

"In the country in which it was forged, something like Howl of the Devil."  
Seran laughed.

"It's far from my dreamy bluebird," she said. "However, it suits it. It could not have found a better master."  
Law does not seem to be troubled by the compliment and merely took a defensive posture. Seran did the same, planted on her slightly bent legs, ready to react to the slightest move. However, she did not expect what followed.

"Room!" Law ordered.  
A translucent bubble encompassed all the submarine. Seran saw the flash of light the nodachi's blade produced by splitting the air. A second, later her head sat in the young man's palm.

"Nuh?"  
Her eyes rolled in their sockets as she looked around her, trying to understand what had happened. Above her, Law gave her a mocking smile.

"What have you done to me?"  
Law swung her head in his hand and Seran could see her beheaded body groping on the deck, looking for her head.

"Very cleaver!" She gasped feeling the fear rising in her. "How am I going to do now?"  
Her right foot suddenly banged against the rail.

"Ouuch!" she exclaimed. "Hey, watch out! Nuh ?"  
She felt very stupid when she realized she shouted against her own body.

"It's weird. I feel as if my head was still in its place."  
The throbbing pain in her toe was both annoying and intriguing.

"To say that my teachers told me I had not head on my shoulders."  
Law does not seem to found that funny and merely canceled his power. Seran's head flew back to her body as soon as the dome disappeared. The young woman raised a hand to rub her neck, as if to make sure that she had her head back and everything was in the right place.

"Bepo told me about your abilities," she said. "You can control everything in this bubble, right? You can cut and reshape as you please, reverse objects or people and even trap a spirit in a body that is not its own. I didn't think it was only temporary."

"It's not," replied the captain. "The severed body parts seek to come back to a body and when the dome disappears, they return to the first one they find. Any one of them. This time as you were the only one it was not a problem."  
Seran raised an eyebrow.

"What happens when there are several people?"  
A shiver went up her spine when she saw the sadistic smile on Law's face. She tried not to imagine the results his powers could have on the marine of her jail boat.

"Go on," ordered Law.

"Only if you promise to return all parts of my body at their right place after the training."  
With a smile that could just as easily show his cruel amusement as his willingness to leave the young woman's limbs lying across the submarine, Law invoked his dome again. Seran clenched her fingers on her sword's hilt and jumped to the side as soon as Law made a move with Kikoku. A moment later, she was face against the ground, one of her legs cut at the knees.

"It's not brilliant," Law considered.  
The Atlantean let out a growl.

"Let me move if you wanna see what I can do."

"You think your opponents will let you the opportunity to threaten them?"  
He was right, of course, but Seran would rather bite her severed leg than admit it aloud.

"There are many opponents in this sea against which a simple sword is ineffective. If you want a chance to survive, you'll have to learn to deal with them and if you can't be stronger than them, then you must learn to be smarter than them."  
Again Law let the dome vanish and Seran retrieved her leg.

"I understand," she said, getting up. "Power like yours are not uncommon in this world. But I'm not helpless either."  
The dome reappeared. Almost immediately Law felt a slight shockwave produced by the Atlantean. It was as if a light gust of wind swept the bridge before disappearing suddenly. Seran deported her weight slightly forward. Though imperceptible, the move did not escape Law's watchful eye. She was going to attack. He split the air with his nodachi but at the same time, Seran literally disappeared from sight only to reappear behind him. A breath in his neck was all he needed to respond, dodging the blue blade. He was about to strike back when all around him seemed to accelerate. The next second, he parried the Atlantean blade. He had not seen it coming and acted out of pure instinct. With a swing of his body, he pushed the Atlantean back.

"I thought you couldn't act on living bodies," he remarked.  
A little arrogant smile graced the girl's lips.

"True. But that doesn't mean I can't control the time around them. Like you, I can create a bubble in which I can lock my opponent and manipulate the time arond them so their perception is completely distorted. You thought everything was accelerating around you, but it's the opposite. It's you I slowed down. Of course it also works for me. By accelerating the time around me, I see you in slow motion and I can act accordingly."

"And you explain this to me as if I could not use it against you."  
The young woman's smile deepened.

"Knowing how it works and being able to counter it are two different things."  
Seen like that.

"Your skills are not that bad, but they are still rudimentary. You'll not get far with that. You'll have to work seriously to develop your power and make it efficient and effective."  
Seran looked at him with the look of someone ready to bite.

"They helped me kill four marines," she said icily.

"Yes," agreed Law, unimpressed. "But now, you are a pirate and it's tens you'll have to kill. You might be a terror for the Atlanteans but here, on this ocean, you'll get quickly crushed if you stay on your achievement and don't become stronger."  
He had barely finished speaking when he felt an unpleasant shiver run along his spine. Sensing danger, he wanted to lift Kikoku in front of him, but not to avail. Before he had time to understand anything, he felt a light burning pain in his right shoulder and thigh. A slight trickle of blood flowed from minor cuts.

"Captain," screamed Bepo.  
Law did not understand when the bear had time to jump on his paws and ran to him.

"And this one was rudimentary too?" Seran asked with a sarcastic smile.  
A single drop of blood fell from the tip of her blade and hit the deck. When had she attacked?

"What was that?"

"Stasis Field, this is how Chisa called it. You didn't see it coming and you did notice anything because you were frozen in time. Unable to see, hear, feel, understand, to make it short: unable to react."  
Law blinked, visibly shocked.

"You gave me a scare, captain," told Bepo, dipping his muzzle in his paws, overwhelmed by anxiety. "You were as motionless as a statue. You don't even react when Seran-chan hit you."

"How long?" He asked, looking into Seran's eyes.  
She turned away and stepped on deck.

"A few seconds," she confessed. "I can't do more against an opponent as strong as you."  
But this handful of seconds could be crucial.

"I'm aware I'm not strong enough," she said, turning back to her captain. "How could I? Atlantis doesn't prepare its children for facing the outside world, but for fearing it and fleeing it like the plague. I may not be the most peaceful Atlanteans but I know perfectly well I'm nothing compared to the monsters found in this world. But I'm not useless either. I want to progress. I want to be useful. So please, spare me your hurtful remarks."  
A smirk appeared on Law's face:

"Only when you'll deserve to be spared."  
The young woman let out a disgruntled snort.

"Go on," ordered Law, without losing his smile. "Try to hit me."

"And what is that?" Seran asked, pointing the tip of her blade to the cuts she inflicted to him.

"While I can dodge," the pirate clarified.  
Seran refrained from raising her eyes to heaven.

Their little duel resumed, the nodachi creating silvery lightning while the Atlantean blade threw bluish glint. Despite all the aggressiveness and determination she put in, Seran was outclassed by Law, in addition to being strong and able to cut what he wanted without even having to touch it, he was also very fast and do not hesitate to retaliate to any attempted attack or to take advantage of any opening. Seran found herself nose on the deck with a severed leg, arm or foot that Law put back in place without bothering to hide his smirk.

"Go, one last time," ordered the captain.  
Seran sighed. She was tired, had pain in her back and ribs, caused by her falls every time Law had cut one of her limb, all her muscles were screaming for help and she did want only one thing: to lie down and not move till the next century. But her opponent did not see it that way.

"If you don't manage to touch me this time, you will be deprived of food tonight," threatened Law.  
A challenging smile spread on the Atlaneans lips.

"I think I found your technique's weak point," she defied.  
She pointed her sword on him again. Law reached out to create his usual translucent dome. However this time, Seran did not give him time to finish his move. As soon as he raised his hand, his nodachi casually resting on his shoulder, the young woman leapt towards him to stop him. Her speed combined with her capacity took Law by surprise and when Esperia fell on him, he had no alternative but to lower his own blade to parry. Seran threw herself to the ground, rolled behind him and hit him in the leg. She did not, however, expected that happened then. Law let out a strangled cry and collapsed on the deck, panting.

"Captain," cried Bepo rushing towards them.  
Law stopped him with a hand gesture before sitting on his heels. The cut was not serious, but the sensation that ran through his body was downright unpleasant. Well-known from the young man but unpleasant nonetheless.

"Your weapon is made of kairoseki?" He asked.

"Kairowhat? No, it's just Orichalcum," Seran said, confused. "An Atlantean alloy."  
Law took the Atlantean weapon from her and watched it carefully. Now that Seran had let go of it, the uncomfortable feeling that emanated from the sword had disappeared. Law inspected the blade carefully before handing it to its owner.

"I don't know why but this alloy has the same effect as the kairoseki," he concluded. "But only when it's you who hold it."  
Seran frowned.

"What is kairoseki?"

"A matter able to canceling the devil fruit's powers and weakening their possessors."

"So it's a good thing?" She asked, uncertain.

"For you, yes, for me a little less."  
He ran a hand over his forehead.

"Well that's all for today, you can get some rest. We'll talk about this alloy later."  
Seran nodded and walked away, stumbling a bit, tired and sore. Law had not been soft on her and she was sure to be covered in bruises. She was drenched in sweat and her white shirt, although miraculously spared of damage, no longer hid anything she wore underneath, which does not seem to bother her.

"For a first training, it wasn't that bad," assured Law.  
She gave him a smirk while he put his nodachi back in its sheath.

"I expected worse," said Law. "Maybe I'll manage to do something good with you."  
As expected! Every time he made her a compliment, he could not help but follow it with a hurtful comment. Seran wondered whether he did it on purpose or if he was just awkward. Knowing him, it was probably done on purpose.

Seran put Esperia back on its sheath. Her body was racked with pain and she took cautious move to preserve her battered muscles. Her sword under her arm, she walked towards the door, without even considering whether Law allowed her to keep it or not.

"I need a shower," she announced.  
With no objection from her captain, she left the deck and went down into the submarine's innards, trying not to show her tiredness.


	7. A dinner on the Sunny

**Chapter 7:**

**A dinner on the Sunny.**

Seran wrapped the towel around her body and left the cabin without bothering to hide herself. She knew she was not alone in the shower room, she felt Law's presence at the other end of the row of cubicles. Presence confirmed by the sound of running water. Not worrying about it the Atlantean wiped her hair with another towel before leaning over the sink row to check on her bruises in the large mirror. She rarely had as many bruises during a training, Law was not soft on her. They were training together for four days now and already her collection of bruises was going through all the rainbow's colors.

Sighing, she opened the pot of ointment given by none other than her ordeal's responsible and began to apply it on the latest and more painful wounds. She was finishing to put it on her thigh when the water was cut off in the last cubicle. Moments later, Law came out, a towel around his hips. Seran looked closely, carefully detailing his finely carved muscles. She could not deny that the young man was well built and rather attractive, very attractive even. One to please the girls. Well, if he had not this dark and a little scary character that would keep young the women away.

"Like what you see?" He asked with a smirk.

"Yes, I must admit," she answered honestly. "And judging by the images Esran sends me, she likes it too."  
Sometime, Law wondered how to deal with such a frankness. He put his toiletry bag near one of the sink and pulled out a straight razor and a shaving brush.

"How does it work between a _symbiote_ and his host? How can you contact Esran"?

"Not directly, if it's what you mean."  
Seran stared at her reflection in the mirror and Law could see her looking down at her scar.

"I can talk to Esran if I want and I think she understands me, but she can't answer. Not by words. _Symbionts_ do not speak, not even directly to their host's mind. But they still know how to be understood. Most often they communicate with their host through sensations, impressions, sometimes with mental images and memories. They are creatures very sensitive to feelings, impressions and their host quickly learn how to interpret them. Most _symbionts_ have a very sound judgment that can be relied upon. I haven't regretted once trusting Esran's instincts."  
She keep quiet for a moment, watching Law spread foam on his face with the shaving brush.

"For example, she made clear to me that I could trust you."

"And if she was wrong?" The pirate asked with a sarcastic smile.

"It would be the first time!"  
There was a moment of silence. Law opened his razor and checked its sharpness before passing it on his left cheek.

"What would happen if a _symbiote_ rebelled against his host?"

"I do not think it's possible," the Atlantean replied thoughtfully. "I never heard of such cases. I guess in case of disagreement between a _symbiote_ and his host, the two would simply ignore each other. As I've already said, the symbiosis is final and only the host's death could end it. I suppose you could take his symbiote to a particularly unworthy host but it would means killing him. May be killing them both if the _symbiote_ isn't quickly transplanted into a new host, or if he can't reach the Moving Pond."  
While listening, Law took his razor in his right hand and passed it on his right cheek, obviously able to use both hands with equal ability.

"And if the _symbiote_ took the control over his host?" he asked.

"It's impossible. A _symbiote_ can't control his host. Unless the host leaves it voluntarily. We can say the _symbiote_ is a passenger. A silent witness, somehow. He sees what his host sees, hears what he hears and feels the same things as his host but both stay two separate entities. We can always tell the difference between what the symbiote feels and what he sends to us. We feel it to but we know it is not us. The _symbiote's_ character and feelings have no influence on his host. It's just an information. The _symbiote_ can express his feelings, fears, and even in a way or another give advice to his host, but the host isn't obliged to comply. The _symbiote_ can't act if his host decides not to listen to his warnings and act against his opinion. Apart sulking, of course."  
She looked Law manipulate the razor to correct the contours of his goatee with a sculptor's precision.

"You have nothing to fear," she added when he dropped the razor to check the result. "There is no risk I turn berserk because of Esran."  
Law was silent for a moment, wiping his face with a towel. He cast a quick glance to Seran who was carefully brushing her still wet hair, a large black silk ribbon resting on her shoulder waiting to be tied around her blonde mane.

"We'll reach our destination tomorrow morning," he announced, temporarily abandoning the _symbionts'_ topic. "Tonight, we must join the Straw Hat and his crew."  
He did not seem particularly happy about that.

"I'll go on their ship to tell them of the new plan. You'll come with me."  
Seran turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"The code in atlantean, remember?"

"Oh yes! I hadn't really the time to think about it but I'll see that with them."  
She tied her hair with the black ribbon, making a large rosette drop it in her back, then let the tower that covered her slid to the ground. Law 's eyes widened in amazement.

"You shouldn't do that."  
Seran looked at him blankly.

"Show yourself naked."  
The woman's lips formed a nice round O.

"Why? Nudity is a taboo where you come from?"

"It isn't the question. In case you didn't realize yet you 're the only woman on a submarine that sees land only once in a while. Could you avoid doing anything who could drive my men wild."  
Seran tilted her head to the side, her bra in hands.

"I understand. My presence could. .. wake up some things in them, right?"  
She quickly put on her underwear before turning toward her captain.

"This is one way to say it, but yes, that's that. I am fortunate enough to have a relatively quiet crew compared to some other. But men are men. So try to avoid provoking them."

"I'll be careful."  
She did not seem particularly upset about that. Law was always surprised by the ease with which she accepted his decisions. She slipped into the white dress she had brought with her and took one last look at her reflection before turning from the sinks. Law looked her put carefully her things in the locker he had assigned her before calling.

"Seran-ya? I need your hands."  
A smirk appeared on his lips when he saw the young woman instinctively hid her hands in her sleeves, thinking that he might get the idea to cut them with his strange power.

"I need you after your hands," he specified not bothering to hide his mocking tone. "You gonna help me bandage."  
He took a pair of surgical scissors in his bag and cut out the bandages that still covered his torso, leaving the tissues fall on the floor. In the mirror, Seran could see what lay behind the bandage. His heart shaped tattoo was now bisected by three deep parallel cuts that ran from his left shoulder to his right hip, through all his torso. Another scar, shorter but deeper, crossed three others upon his heart.

"What's that?" She asked as she approached.

"The result of a flawed plan," Law replied, casting an expert glance on his wounds.  
The sutures were clean and crisp, no blood or pus. The healing was well advanced. He will be able to remove the stings in a few days.

"These injuries are serious," Seran noticed. "You should be dead!"  
Law shuddered as the young woman's fingers traveled on his chest following the trail of the scar placed upon his heart.

"I probably would if my heart had been in his place. Fortunately, I knew exactly what I might risk and I replaced it with another one."  
Seran raised an eyebrow.

"How?"

"By using my power on myself."  
While he applied gauze on his wounds, he explained how he had his heart replaced by Cesar Clown's. Thus, when Doflamingo had believed giving the deathblow, he had actually killed his mad scientist, while Law's heart remained safe on the Sunny, out of the flamingo man's reach. A weighed in less in this world could not hurt, especially if it allowed him to survive. Well, it does not prevent him from taking a nasty beating that left him more dead than alive.

Following his instructions, Seran redid the complex dressing carefully covering his wounds. She took care to tighten it enough so it does not slip, but without interfering with Law's breathing.

"When Luffy-kun's ship should join us?" She asked completing the dressing.

"In the early evening, according to Bepo's calculations."  
Who would have thought that the bear was North Blue's best navigator?

"Okay, I'll be ready."  
With that, she carefully tied the bandage using staples Law gave to her.

"Here, she said. How is it?"  
Law inspected the bandage.

"This is great for a first time."  
He did not bother to thank her before starting to put away his medical instruments. Realizing that her task was completed, Seran left the shower room trotting, humming a song from her native island.

* * *

The sun was almost setting when the Heart resurfaced to sail alongside the Thousand Sunny. When Law stepped on the turf covered deck of his ally's extravagant ship, he was loudly greeted by Luffy who stood before him with his silly grin on his face.

"Hey, Torao, I 'm glad you're okay," he announced with a laugh.  
His gaze then fell on Seran who inspected the turf on which she walked with a surprised look.

"You're here to Sora!"  
He seemed particularly pleased, unless it was the idea of the meal that awaited them, if Law judged by the delicious smell of food reaching them from the galley.

"We have plan to discuss," Law recalled.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll see that after lunch."  
Seran could have sworn she heard Law growl.

Without further ado, Luffy put his arm around Law's shoulders, which seemed to make an effort not to cut it, and led them all to the galley. Seran followed, wondering whether she should laugh or worry for Luffy. When she entered the dining room, she saw Luffy's crew waiting there: the blond with the curled eyebrows, the two girls, the walking skeleton, the big guy in swimming trunks, the long nosed guy and another she had not met yet. They did not seem particularly pleased to see them, but none made any remark. While talking with Law and Bepo, Seran understood Luffy had accepted the alliance with Law without asking his crew. It was obvious that his crew was not pleased with the situation. It was true that she herself had felt an unpleasant shiver down her spine when she had learned this alliance goal was to overcome one of the most powerful men sailing these seas. But she owe Law her life and she was willing to sacrifice herserlf for him if needed. Where Law would go, she would follow, even in Hell.

"Who are you?" Asked the guy with the green hair, she had never met.  
He stared at her with a suspicious look.

"Seran," she replied without taking offence at his rudeness. "I belong to Heart's crew."

"Ah yes, the others have told me about you. You're the girl who can't speak."  
A small pout appeared on Seran's lips.

"I can speak now," she objected.  
The guy with green hair walked away from her, obviously not caring about her progress. Shrugging without understanding, Seran walked around the table, trying to find a place, when her eyes met Law's grey ones. He made it clear to her that she should sit beside him and suffer from Luffy's whims with him. Docile, the young woman sat beside her captain and held a smile when she saw him roll his eyes while Luffy told him one of his ridiculous adventures.

Gradually, Luffy's crew members joined them, sitting down following a pattern that seemed prepared in advance. Seran's neighbor turned out to be a hairball wearing a funny hat, another one! When she saw him the young woman could not restrain a delighted exclamation that seemed to freeze him in terror.

"Too cute! A walking plush!"  
Before understanding what was happening, Chopper was lifted off the ground and found himself pinned against the young woman's breast in a hug that nearly suffocate him. He let out a complaint while his little hooves were moving, trying to find a way out.

"I don't think Luffy-ya will appreciate you suffocate his doctor, Seran-ya," Law intervened in an astonishingly cold voice.  
The young woman turned to him and noticed he was not looking at her, pretending to fix a point above his ally's shoulder. Wondering what was happening to him, the Atlantean loosened her grip and put Chopper on her lap.

"So you're a doctor?"  
The little creature nodded shyly.

"Like Law, then!"  
A disgruntled grunt warned Seran her captain did not like being compared to his little furry friend.

"What are you exactly? I've never seen a creature like you before."  
Seran take a closer look at the little reindeer, poking him with her fingers.

"Hey, stop that," cried Chopper finding his small voice. "I'm not a freak, I'm a reindeer."  
It seemed to leave the Atlantean puzzled.

"A reindeer? What is that?"  
She turned to Law and found that he always pretended to look elsewhere.

"A kind of deer that live in cold countries," he answered anyway.  
Seran turned back to Chopper.

"I had never seen one before. Are all the reindeers like you?"

"Absolutely not !" cried the little reindeer, visibly shocked by the confusion. "I ate the Human-Human Fruit. That's why I can walk and talk like a human".

"Another one of those fruits that give strange powers. I feel that I haven't finished to hear about them."  
The conversation ended there, Sanji bringing the first plate of food. As soon as the plate was on the table, Luffy rushed over it and a sharp fight ensued. Sanji took care of Luffy with a kick in the face that sent him flying in the back of the room. If it does not seem to disturb Law, Seran gaped, stunned by the blond's behavior. However she does not have time to react, Sanji fell at her feet and took her hand in his, hearts in his eyes.

"Don't worry Seran-dear, I take care of this greedy pig, you can take whatever you want."

"Uh. .. thanks."  
Not knowing how to react, she decided to imitate Law and act as if everything was normal on board the strange ship.

The meal began quietly. Well, as quietly as a meal could be on the Thousand Sunny. Luffy, Sanji, Zoro and Usopp were constantly bickering, fighting for the contents of the paltes set before them. Sometimes a little food flew from one end to the other of the table and Nami knocked Sanji with her staff for staining her new tee-shirt. Seran observed the interactions between the crew members in understanding of what Law meant by "fortunate enough to have a relatively quiet crew compared to some other " No doubt he thought of his exuberant ally saying that.

When Luffy's appetite finally seemed to calm down, which took almost three services, Law decided it was time to get serious. He did not come for a quiet dinner or to spend the evening listening to Luffy flaunt his incredible adventures. Pushing his dish, he leaned on the table. Realizing that time was no longer of unnecessary bickering, the entire crew grew silent, turning his attention to the surgeon.

"We'll reach our destination tomorrow morning," he began. "This island is called Ranchorosa. I chose it for good reasons. Since a few months it has been the target of frequent attacks from one of Kaido's henchman, a guy called Darkov. He's not very important in Kaido's organization, but after our mishap in Dressrosa, I thought it was best to take on the small fishes before taking care of their master. The loss of SAD and the artificial fruits was certainly a blow to Kaido, but obviously not enough to make him move. Our goal is to harass him until he finally made a mistake."  
Luffy blinked at Law as if he had not understood a word of what had been said. This was not the case for everyone.

"Well, this is good, but how were we supposed to do that?" Nami intervened.

"By eliminating Kaido's interests in the New World, one after the other," said Law. "Ranchorosa may look like a normal island, but it hold a secret that stirs much greed: the biggest diamond mine on this side of Red Line."

"Diamonds!" Nami exclaimed, eyes shining with lust. "What are we waiting for eliminating this bad guy?"

"He's very clever," noticed Zoro emptying his glass. "He even manages to handle Nami!"  
Arms crossed over his chest, Usopp nodded vigorously.

"Close your mouthes, bunch of morons," cried the redhead, throwing an empty bottle toward them.  
Indifferent to their bickering, Law continued to explain his plan, even if the only ones who were still attentives were Franky, Sanji and Seran. The surgeon had pulled a map from his jacket and had spread it out on the table to show it to everyone.

"Here is a rough map of Ranchorosa. As you can see, the island has only one town, not very important, but no port. The Diamonds are moved by the bay, here.  
He pointed to a point on the map.

"It would be easy to attack the convoys to cut Kaido's supply, but it would only be a temporary solution. What we want is to cut off the road permanently.

"How?" Seran intervened, passing a hand over her forehead. "Even if we can eliminate this guy, Darkov, nothing prevents Kaido to send another one of his minions on the island."

"Precisely, Law replied with a smile worthy of the worst plotters.  
Seran looked at him a moment, beginning to understand what he had in mind.

"Are we going to destroy the mine?

"I knew it was a good idea to bring you, Seran-ya.  
He looked down at his map.

"The mine is somewhere around here," he said, pointing to a large area in the center of the island, "but I don't know where exactly. Here's what we'll do. Tomorrow, we will anchor in this small creek who should be enough to protect the ships. While my men and I will seek information on the mine, you and yours will learn about this Darkov and his troops. I know it's hopeless, but try to be discreet. It's not time for fighting yet, you are just looking for informations. Don't go beating the first idiot who push an old woman. Darkov should ignore our presence as long as possible. It is clear, Luffy-ya?"  
Luffy had placed his chin on the edge of the table and stared at the map as if it was the most boring thing he had ever seen.

"Yeah, yeah," he said in a tone that clearly indicated he would have much preferred to be somewhere else and have fun. "Information first, I'm not stupid!"  
Law chose not to say out loud what this comment inspired him. He folded the map and put it in his pocket.

"When we'll have this information, we'll be able to finalize a real plan."  
He paused, waiting for questions from his allies. As none came, he concluded that they all understood what he said and hoped that it was printed in their brains. Anyway, he began to know them and had understood it was useless to make accurate plans with them. They always found a way to waste even the best plan, as he had had the opportunity to see on Punk Hazard and Dressrosa.

"Your turn, Seran-ya," he said after a moment of silence.  
Suddenly remembering why she was there, Seran straightened in her chair.

"Ah yes. Uh. .. Where to start?"  
She thought for a moment, facing the same problem since her arrival on the Heart: what tell about her native island without revealing its secrets?

"When we met, a few days ago, Robin-san asked me where my accent came from," she began looking at her hands folded on the table. "I replied it came from far away. The truth is: I am Atlantean, and twenty days ago, I didn't speak a word of your language."  
There was a moment of silence around the table.

"Atlantis?" Robin began a slow voice. "This island really exists."  
Seran nodded. Robin opened her mouth to ask something, but Seran stopped her with a gesture.

"I'll answer your questions later," she assured. "For now, I have to tell you about the captain's idea."  
From the corner of her eye, she saw Law sank into his seat, elbows on the table and put his head on his fist, a smirk on his lips.

"We all know how easy it is to intercept a communication by Den Den Mushi, right?"  
The young woman's eyes slipped on the big snail sleeping on a table, near the door of the galley.

"The captain asked me to prepare a manuscript code allowing our two crew to send information to each other without fearing someone could decrypt it."  
She pulled a carefully folded paper from her bra.

"Here is some glyphs, the writing the Atlanteans use. I put only those who are most likely to be useful to us, accompanied by their translation. That should be enough for the first tests of our little code. I can teach you more later, if you wish."  
She handed the sheet to Robin who threw it a glance before setting on Seran a bulging look.

"These are Atlantean letters?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"Not letters, glyph," corrected the young woman. "Each of them represents an idea. The Atlanteans can form sentences by putting them end to end. They are called glyph because ..."

"Originally they were carved into stone."  
Seran turned a wary look to Robin."

"Right, how do you know that?"

"I know this writing," said the archaeologist. "I can read it."  
She rose a frightened look to Seran who seemed no less amazed.

"It's impossible," she said, shaking her head. "No one outside of Atlantis can understand this writing. The island had no real contact with the outside world since centuries."  
She turned her head for a moment to collect her thoughts, obviously taken aback, then moved her sapphire eyes to Robin.

_"How do you know this language?"_ She asked in atlantean.  
To her amazement, the archaeologist replied in the same language.

_"I learned it when I was a child. My mother was part of a group of scholars who studied some stele covered with this writing."_  
A stunned silence followed this exchange. All eyes were fixed on the two young women. Law even seemed particularly interested by the turn of events.

"Do you have sketches or notes I could see?" Seran asked, back to the common language to ease the others' understanding.  
Robin nodded and rose from her chair, exiting the gallay. She returned a few moments later and handed a book to Seran. The Atlantean flipped through it carefully, taking care to dwell on all the passages on the stele the archaeologist was talking about.

"They are called Ponglyph," clarified Robin. "They can be found on many islands of Grand Line. Most reveals secrets from the time at which they were erected. Others treats of Ancient Weapons. The World Government has prohibited to study them and hunts ferociously all the people able to read them."

"Ancient Weapons? We have something like that in our tradition, in Atlantis. But it's rather something terrifying, more like a warning, and it's forbidden to speak about them and even to mention them. We know they exists, but it stops there. Nobody should try to learn more about them. I 'm not sure but I think it's a censorship to try to forget a dark event in our history."  
Robin frowned. Purest confusion seemed to prevail in the two young women's minds.

"It's trully atlantean," Seran confirmed after seeing most of the documents on the Poneglyphs. "Well, a form of atlantean. There are some differences, the sentences' structure is a bit archaic and some glyphs are no longer used. Like this one "Nema", the People. Now, we rather use "Asha"."  
She closed the book and handed it to Robin.

"Why do you study these Ponglyphs?"

"Not to find the Ancients Weapons, if that's what worrying you. I want to know the True History. Understand what could have happened nine hundred years ago and was worth for the World Government orders to destroy an entire island to keep it secret."

"Nine hundred years ago!" Seran repeated thoughtfully. "It's the time Atlantis stopped to look outward to lock on itself. Is all this linked?"  
The question was addressed to no one in particular, nobody holding the answer. Seran was thinking aloud, trying to understand and wondering why Esran was so discreet since the beginning of this strange conversation. The _symbiote _probably knew something she was not allowed to reveal. Seran knew she should not try to force her to answer, there was no way to force Esran to share her knowledge if she does not have to. It was a mystery she had to solve alone.

Seran was still thoughtful when she returned to the Heart with Law which, for its part, seemed particularly pleased with the evening. If Luffy and his crew's antics were omitted, everything was particularly well for him. He was finally able to share a part of his plan with his ally and discovered that Seran did not need to waste her time teaching glyphs to Robin, as she spoke atlantean. No need to develop a written code, the two women could easily pass the information by Den Den Mushi using that language. He had also discovered a mystery that seemed worth his interest. Even if he was not keen on history and language, he had to admit that a riddle always put his mind alert.

"In your opinion, what happened nine hundred years ago?" He asked. "Why the stele sought by Robin-ya are written in atlantean? You didn't tell her anything, but I 'm sure you have some ideas."  
The young woman leaned against the railing on the submarine's deck and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I can only speculate," she replied, looking him in the eyes. "I don't know why Atlantis chose cut itself off from the world, but I know that, originally, before the closure, it was certainly the most brilliant civilization in the world. We lost a lot since the closure of the island. Like a race which regresses after living locked for centuries.  
"It's a story that only the _Mother of Ages_, the woman who is above the M_atriarchs_, knows. A secret that isn't shared with the rest of the Atlantean people. But I think there was a war. Against whom, I don't know, but I guess if everyone is trying to forget it that means the result was not glorious."  
Law was silent for a moment before asking:

"And you don't fear the truth is so terrible that the world doesn't survive to its discovery?"  
Seran left the rail and walked to the door bringing inside the submarine.

"We learn from our mistakes," she said. "If we decide to forget them what prevents us from committing them again? And no matter what secret the Atlanteans and the World Government are trying to hide, it's not for them to decide what should be forgotten or not. History teaches us what to avoid doing or redoing but if there is a censorship, nothing prevents us to sink again in a war that could have been avoided."  
With that she entered the submarine wishing him good night. Silent, Law watched her disappear into the passageway, a smirk on his lips.

"Well, you are really interesting, Seran," he murmured before looking up towards the sky.  
The full moon illuminated the ship with a ghostly glow.

"How many discoveries will I make about you?"  
Without losing his disturbing smile, Law went inside the submarine, closing the door behind him.


End file.
